Moony, Padfoot, Prongs & Lily read Goblet of Fire
by amber-chick
Summary: It is early 1981 and Remus, Sirius, James and Lily find Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire and decide to read it, having no idea of what they will discover. Baby Harry also guest stars. Ch19: The Goblet of Fire is uploaded.
1. The Riddle House

If there are images in this attachment, they will not be displayed

_Well, for those who recognize this, that would be because someone decided to report this story to ffnet and got it deleted. I am reuploading it in hope that this will not happen again... only because I have already had several requests to have it back so I thank all my loyal readers! I hope you enjoy this and I am trying to find something good in this and so am going through them to see if any improvements are needed... Please, enjoy._

_Just one thing you need to know before reading:_

_While they are staying at Hogwarts, they are no longer students. Harry is currently a few months old._

"I just heard, is everyone all right?" asked a young man as he walked into a large room. There were two other men in the room, sitting in front of the fire.

One of them turned towards him and said, "Oh, it's you, Remus, we're okay, right now anyway." The man then motioned for Remus to sit down. This man's name was Sirius Black.

"Where's Lily?" asked Remus, as he settled down on the chair.

The other man, who was James Potter, turned towards him and answered, "She's putting Harry to bed. He got really scared…" Remus just nodded absentmindedly, joining his best friends by staring at the fire.

These three men were currently at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They were in a hidden room, or really a few hidden rooms. The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had allowed them use of the chambers after the Potters were attacked by Death Eaters. Everyone had gotten through the attack with barely a scratch but Lily and James' son, Harry, who was not even a year old yet, had been terrified by the attack. Sirius had come along to help in any way he could, as had Remus when he heard about the attack.

"He's sleeping," said a soft voice near the door leading into the bedroom. The three men – or really boys, being barely twenty years of age, turned around to see the beautiful Lily Potter walking towards them, with her red hair swaying behind her.

"Oh, Remus, when did you get here?" she added, noticing one of her husbands best friends (if not brothers) and one of her own good friends.

"As soon as I heard," said Remus. "Are you all right Lily?"

"I'm fine. Madam Pomfrey just said that Harry was in shock, but other than that nothing really happened, the Death Eaters didn't seem very organized. It seemed to be a run-of-the-mill thing, not a planned attack," said Lily as she settled herself across from her husband.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes. While none of them were even really bothered by the attack, the fact that their six-month-old son/godson/surrogate nephew had witnessed it was what really worried them. They weren't hurt in any way, so they didn't want to sleep and besides they wanted to be awake in case Harry needed anything.

"Maybe we should read a book," said Lily, managing to get a laugh from Remus at the very least.

"Lily, if you manage to find a book that those two will read, then I'm all for it," said Remus, with another laugh. It was a well known fact that Sirius Black and James Potter did not read. Ever. It just wasn't done.

"Hmm… well, I suppose it's worth a try," said Lily, though also she knew that it was impossible to get those two to read something. Hopefully she would have better luck with her son.

She wandered over to the large bookcase as Sirius, Remus and James started to talk about…well nothing in particular really. They just did what they had done thousands of times while still at school, just chatted amiably about nothing at all, as though there was nobody outside their own little world.

The four adults had been forced to grow-up too quickly, with the rise of Voldemort. Now, though, they had a chance to relax, muck around and generally act their age again, although there was one thing missing…

"Hey, where's Peter?" spoke up James suddenly.

"Um… I don't know, I think his mum was sick or something," said Remus, although he too was wondering where his other friend had disappeared to. He would usually come running if he had heard there had been a Death Eater attack. On the other hand, however, it had hardly been an attack, Peter probably hadn't even heard about it. The only reason they were even still thinking about it was because of little Harry.

Just then Lily let out a gasp. The other three marauders turned to look at her questioningly. "This-this book," she said holding out.

"What's so special about it?" asked Sirius curiously.

"How about the fact that it was published in the year 2000?" cried Lily, looking up at the marauders.

All three men instantly got looks of shock on their faces. "A book from the future! Is that even possible?" asked Remus.

"Well, apparently it is. And…have a look at the title," said Lily, holding up the book. It read: HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE.

"Harry…our Harry?" asked James incredulously. "My little baby Harry had a book written about him?"

"He must have, although in the year 2000. It was probably written after it happened though. I'm betting that it was during his Hogwarts years," said Sirius, looking at the book written about his precious godson. "Should we read it?"

"We really shouldn't," said Remus. "But it's about Harry, so…"

"Let's forget about the rules," Lily finished for him. "I want to know what's happened to my son."

"Well, then, it's agreed, we read the book," said James enthusiastically. "Can I start?"

Remus laughed and then answered, "Well, it looks like we have just done the impossible. Lily, it looks like you have actually managed to make James and Sirius want to read a book.

"Oh, shut up, Moony," said James good-naturedly, as Lily passed him the book. They all settled down, eager to learn about the little bundle of joy that had entered their life in the midst of the chaos that was the war.

And so James started to read…

**CHAPTER 1**

**THE RIDDLE HOUSE**

**The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it 'The Riddle House', even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there. It stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and ivy spreading unchecked over its face. Once a fine looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest building for miles around, the Riddle House was now damp derelict and unoccupied.**

"Doesn't sound like a very pleasant place to live," noted Remus.

"Sounds like my parents place," said Sirius.

**The Little Hangletons all agreed that the old house was 'creepy'. Half a century ago, something strange and horrible had happened there, something that that the older inhabitants of the village still liked to discuss when topics for gossip were scarce. The story had been picked over so many times, and had been embroidered in so many places, that nobody was quite sure what the truth was any more. Every version of the tale, however, started in the same place: fifty years before, at daybreak on a fine summers morning, when the Riddle House had still been well kept and impressive, and a maid had entered a drawing room to find all three Riddles dead.**

"That's horrible," said Lily, a hand clasped over her mouth.

"It is, but why is it in a book about my boy?" asked James, curious. "I mean, this happened a good forty years before he was born!"

Lily said, "Well, we'll just have to read to find out, won't we?"

**The maid had run screaming down the hill into the village, and roused as many people as she could. **

"That's a bit rude," noted Lily out loud.

"Well, what would you do, if you found three people dead?" asked Sirius, his eyebrows raised.

"I suppose you have a point," Lily admitted grudgingly.

"**Lying there with their eyes wide open! Cold as ice! Still in their dinner things!"**

"It wouldn't exactly be a good thing to wake up to…," quipped Lily.

**The police were summoned, and the whole of Little Hangleton had seethed with shocked curiosity and ill-disguised excitement. Nobody wasted their breath pretending to feel very sad about the Riddles, for they had been most unpopular.**

"Even if that's true, you'd think they'd be a little upset," said Sirius.

**Elderly Mr and Mrs Riddle had been rich, snobbish and rude, and their grown up son, Tom, had been even more so.**

"Sounds like such a nice family," commented James, sarcastically.

**All the villagers cared about was the identity of the murderer – plainly, three apparently healthy people did not all drop dead of natural causes on the same night.**

Remus looked thoughtful. "They've got a fair point there. The Avada Kedavra maybe?"

"Maybe," concurred Sirius, looking impatiently over James' shoulder for the next few words of this… intriguing story.

**The Hanged Man,**

"Nice name. Nearly as bad as the Hogshead," said Lily.

"Hey, the Hogshead isn't that bad! The barkeeper let us buy firewhiskey in fifth year!" defended James, but withered slightly under the stern look he got from his wife.

**the village pub, did a roaring trade that night; the whole village had turned out to discuss the murders. They were rewarded for leaving their firesides when the Riddles' cook arrived dramatically in their midst, and announced to the suddenly silent pub that a man called Frank Bryce had been arrested.**

"**Frank!" cried several people. "Never!"**

"Good to have friends that believe in you no matter what happens," Sirius mentioned, smiling quickly at his own friends, who he knew would do the same thing for him.

"Yeah, no kidding," James agreed, laughing. "Nice to know we got people to bail us out, right, Pads?"

"Don't call me Pads," Sirius growled.

**Frank Bryce was the Riddles gardener. He lived alone in a run-down cottage in the Riddle House grounds. Frank had come back from the war with a very stiff leg and a great dislike of crowds and loud noises, and had been working for the Riddles ever since.**

**There was a rush to buy the cook drinks and hear more details.**

"Aren't these people so nice and considerate," said Sirius, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"**Always thought he was odd," she told the eagerly listening villagers, after her fourth sherry. "Unfriendly like. I'm sure if I've offered him a cuppa once, I've offered it a hundred times. Never wanted to mix, he didn't."**

"Yes, well, that doesn't necessarily make him evil or a murderer!" Remus pointed out.

"Yeah! That's like saying Remus is evil 'cos of what he becomes once a month!" said James, making Remus blush slightly.

"**Ah, now," said the woman at the bar, "He had a hard war, Frank, he likes the quiet life. That's no reason to-"**

"**Who else had the key to the back door then?" barked the cook. "There's been a spare key hanging in the gardener's cottage far back as I can remember! Nobody forced the door last night! No broken windows! All Frank had to do was creep up to the big house while we was all sleeping…"**

"I still don't think he did it. After all, if it was a wizard, they could have used _Alohomora_," said Lily, slightly annoyed at the prejudice the villagers were showing.

"Well, I still want to know what this has to do with my boy!" cried James, somewhat confused about the events in the books.

"Keep reading then and we'll find out," responded Remus.

**The villagers exchanged dark looks.**

"**I always though he had a nasty look about him, right enough," grunted a man at the bar.**

"**War turned him funny, if you ask me," said the landlord.**

"How quickly they turn," Remus noted wryly.

"**Told you I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of Frank, didn't I Dot?" said an excited woman in the corner. **

"**Horrible temper," said Dot, nodding fervently, "I remember, when he was a kid…"**

**By the following morning, hardly anyone doubted that Frank Bryce had killed the Riddles.**

"Hmmph… aren't they _so_ kind and faithful to their neighbours," said Lily scathingly.

**But over in the neighbouring town of Great Hangleton, in the dark and dingy police station, Frank was stubbornly repeating, again and again, that he was innocent, and that the only person he had seen near the house on the day of the Riddles' deaths had been a teenage boy, a stranger, dark-haired and pale. Nobody else in the village had seen any such boy, and the police were quite sure that Frank had invented him.**

The four barely-turned adults exchanged uneasy looks.

Sirius spoke the question which haunted all of their minds. "Who do you think it is…?" His voice trailed off nervously.

**Then, just when things were looking serious for Frank, the report on the Riddles' bodies came back and changed everything.**

**The police had never read an odder report. **

"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey could show them some," James said with a smile.

**A team of doctors had examined the bodies, and had concluded that none of the Riddles had been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangled, suffocated or (as far as they could tell) harmed at all. In fact, the report continued, in a tone of unmistakable bewilderment, the Riddles all appeared in perfect health – apart from the fact that they were all dead. The doctors did note (as though determined to find something wrong with the bodies) that each of the Riddles had a look of terror upon his or her face – but as the frustrated police said, whoever heard of three people being **_**frightened **_**to death.**

"Yep, it's definitely the _Avada Kedavra_ curse. That's how it works. Nothing is left at all," James said, confirming all of their suspicions.

Lily looked at James, worried. "But what does our little Harry have to do with some murder that happened _decades_ ago, before _we _were born?"

**As there was no proof that the Riddles had been murdered at all, the police were forced to let Frank go. The Riddles were buried in the Little Hangleton churchyard, and their graves remained objects of curiosity for a while. To everyone's surprise, and amidst a cloud of suspicion, **

"Whatever happened to 'it could never have been Frank'?" Sirius asked, rolling his eyes.

**Frank Bryce returned to his cottage in the grounds of the Riddle House. **

"Well, what's so suspicious about that; if he didn't kill them, why shouldn't he go back?" said Remus reasonably. Out of the four infamous marauders, he had always been the voice of reason.

"**S'far as I'm concerned, he killed them, and I don't care what the police say," said Dot in the Hanged Man. "And if he had any decency, he'd leave here, knowing as how we knows he did it."**

**But Frank did not leave. He stayed to tend the garden for the next family who lived in the Riddle House, and then the next – for neither family stayed long. Perhaps it was partly because of Frank that each new owner said there was a nasty feeling about the place, which, in the absence of inhabitants, started to fall into despair.**

**The wealthy man who owned the Riddle House these days neither lived there nor put it to any use;**

"Well, what's the point in even having it then?" said Sirius sardonically.

Lily, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. "It said 'these days'. Maybe we'll find out what this has to do with Harry…"

**they said in the village that he kept it for 'tax reasons', though nobody was very clear what these might be. The wealthy owner continued to pay Frank to do the gardening however.**

"So he doesn't live there, never pays any attention to the place, but pays a gardener all the same? Trust muggles!" said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me, muggles are not that bad! Even if it is a bit… er… strange, doesn't mean that all muggles are strange or even that they all do that!" said Lily, indignantly. Had not James stealthily continued to read, she would have gone into a full-blown lecture about the finer points of muggle behaviour.

**Frank was nearing his seventy-seventh birthday now, very deaf, his bad leg stiffer then ever, but could be seen pottering around the flowerbeds in fine weather, even though the weeds were starting to creep up on him.**

**Weeds were not the only thing Frank had to contend with, either. Boys from the village made a habit of throwing stones through the windows of the Riddle House.**

"Prats!" said Remus.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? It sounds like something you guys would do."

The other three men couldn't really deny it, so they just stayed quiet, swapping sheepish smiles.

**They rode their bicycles over the lawns Frank worked so hard to keep smooth. Once or twice, they broke into the old house for a dare. **

"Yep, definitely like you guys," concluded Lily.

**They knew that old Frank was devoted to the house and grounds, and it amused them to see him limping across the garden, brandishing his stick and yelling croakily at them. Frank believed, on his part, that the boys tormented him because they, like their parents and grandparents, thought him a murderer.**

"That's so sad," said Lily, sympathetically.

Remus, James and Sirius just looked at each other; their thoughts written quite clearly in their eyes. _Women._

**So when Frank woke one night in August, and saw something very odd up at the old house, he merely assumed that the boys had gone one step further in their attempts to punish him.**

"Oh, for goodness sake! Give the guy a break! There was no proof, why don't you let the poor man live in peace! You evil… you mean little…" said Lily, exasperated.

"Um… Lily? It's a book," said Sirius. "This is happening in about fifteen/twenty years. I would advise you to say it then."

"Oh, shut up," snapped Lily.

**It was Frank's bad leg that woke him; it was paining him worse then ever in his old age.**

"Poor man, he really doesn't get a break does he?" said Lily sympathetically.

James said '_women_' under his breath before continuing to read. He wanted to get to the parts about his son.

**He got up and limped downstairs into the kitchen, with the idea of re-filling his hot-water bottle to ease the stiffness in his knee. Standing at the sink, filling the kettle, he looked up at the Riddle House and saw lights glimmering in its upper windows. Frank knew at once what was going on. The boys had broken into the house again, and judging by the flickering quality of the light, they had started a fire. **

Lily started to look uneasy. "That does seem to be going a bit far…"

**Frank had no telephone, and in any case, he had deeply mistrusted the police ever since they had taken him in for questioning about the Riddles' deaths.**

"Understandable," said Sirius. "I'd probably be the same."

**He put down the kettle at once, hurried back upstairs as fast as his bad leg would allow, and was soon back in his kitchen, fully dressed removing a rusty old key from its hook by the door. He picked up his walking stick, which was propped against the wall, and set off into the night. **

"Is that really a smart thing to do?" asked Remus, and he too, was starting to look uneasy.

**The front door of the Riddle House bore no sign of being forced, and nor did any of its windows.**

"There's no way that any kids would be able to do that…" said James. All four of them were now worried.

"You don't think it could be the murderers do you?" asked Lily.

"Why would they return to the scene of the crime fifty years later?" said Remus, though he did have his doubts.

**Frank limped around to the back of the house until he reached a door almost completely hidden by ivy, took out the old key, put it into the lock and opened the door noiselessly.**

"If it hasn't been used in so long, how come it opened without creaking?" asked James.

"Maybe he oils it," suggested Remus. "Obviously."

**He had let himself into the cavernous kitchen. Frank had not entered it for many years; nevertheless, although it was very dark, he remembered where the door into the hall was, and he groped his way towards it, his nostrils full of the smell of decay, ears pricked for any sign of footsteps or voices from overhead. He reached the hall, which was a little lighter owing to the large mullioned windows either side of the front door, and started to climb the stairs, blessing the dust which lay thick upon the stone, because it muffled the sound of his feet and stick.**

"Ha, I knew there was something good about dust," said James triumphantly. The others just rolled their eyes.

**On the landing, Frank turned right, and saw at once where the intruders were: at the very end of a passage a door stood ajar, and a flickering light shone through the gap, casting a long sliver of gold across the black floor. Frank edged closer and closer, grasping his walking stick firmly. Several feet from the entrance, he was able to see a narrow slice of the room beyond.**

**The fire, he now saw, had been lit in the grate. **

They were looking anxious again. "Who do you think it could be?" asked Lily, slightly fearfully.

"Hey, maybe it's Harry, after all, the book is about him," Sirius suggested.

"And what would my sweet child be doing in a place like that?" asked Lily huffily, her eyes narrowing, as though daring one of them to say something.

**This surprised him. He stopped moving and listened intently, for a man's voice spoke within the room; it sounded timid and fearful.**

"**There is a little more in the bottle my lord, if you are still hungry."**

James paled, which was unusual. Nothing could scare him, it seemed, until now. "My lord? You don't think…"

"Lord Voldemort," said Sirius grimly.

They were now all hanging on to every word.

"**Later," said a second voice. This, too, belonged to a man – but it was strangely high-pitched, and cold as a sudden blast of icy wind.**

"Yep, definitely Voldemort," said Remus.

**Something about that voice made the sparse hairs on the back of Frank's neck stand up. "Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."**

"What?!" said James, shocked. The other two marauders were also shocked. One of their own couldn't have betrayed them…could he?

"I wouldn't worry about it," said Lily. "After all, 'Wormtail' isn't exactly an uncommon last name, it's probably this guy's real name, not a nickname like you guys have. I mean, would Voldemort really use a schoolboy nickname to address his death eaters?"

"Yeah, Lily's right. Besides, I just don't see Peter ever following that bastard," said James.

"Yeah, you're right," agreed both Sirius and Remus, although all four of them looked a little doubtful.

**Frank turned his right ear towards the door, the better to hear.**

"Don't eavesdrop, get away from there before he kills you," urged Lily, now really starting to look worried.

**There came the chink of a bottle being put down upon some hard surface, and then the dull scraping noise of a heavy chair being dragged across the floor. Frank caught a glimpse of a small man, his back to the door, pushing the chair into place. He was wearing a long black cloak, and there was a bald patch at the back of his head. Then he disappeared from sight again.**

"**Where is Nagini?" said the cold voice.**

"Who's Nagini?" asked Sirius.

"Dunno, but we'll probably find out," said Remus.

"**I – I don't know, my lord," said the first voice nervously. "She set out to explore the house, I think…"**

"**You will milk her before we retire, Wormtail," said the second voice. **

"Milk her? What is she, a cow or something?" asked Sirius, smirking at the though of Voldemort with a cow.

"Somehow I doubt it," said Lily, raising her eyebrows at her husband's best friend and her son's godfather.

"**I will need feeding in the night. The journey has tired me greatly."**

"Wait a second!" cried Remus. "Why would Voldemort need feeding in the night? And how could any journey 'tire' him?"

"I dunno…sounds like something's happened to him over the last few years," said James thoughtfully.

"Could just be old age," Sirius suggested, snickering at the thought.

**Brow furrowed, Frank inclined his good ear still closer to the door, listening very hard. There was a pause and then the man called Wormtail spoke again.**

"**My lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?"**

"**A week," said the cold voice. "Perhaps longer. The place is moderately comfortable, and the plan cannot proceed yet. It would be foolish to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over."**

James immediately lightened at the mention of the world cup. The other three groaned and Lily hastily said, "Just keep reading, we want to find out about Harry, not the cup…," before he started ranting. The prospect of finding out about his son won over Quidditch quite easily, so he continued.

**Frank inserted a gnarled finger into his ear and rotated it. Owing, no doubt, to a build-up of earwax, he had heard the word Quidditch, which was not a word at all.**

"Of course it's a word! It's the best sport in the world!" cried James, incredulous.

"Harry, James, just think about Harry," said Sirius.

"**The – the Quidditch World Cup, my lord?" said Wormtail. (Frank dug his finger still more vigorously in his ear.) "Forgive me – but I do not understand – why should we wait until the World Cup is over?"**

"Okay, not even Peter's that thick," sniggered Sirius. "Oh yeah, why would a weakened Voldemort attack at the cup?"

"**Because, fool, at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking and double-checking identities. They will be obsessed with security, lest the muggles notice anything. So we wait."**

"Doesn't seem like Voldemort to explain things to his death eaters," said Remus lightly.

"Yeah, things must have really changed in the last few years," said Lily curiously.

**Frank stopped trying to clear his ear out. He had distinctly heard the words 'Ministry of Magic', 'wizards', and 'muggles'. Plainly, each of these expressions meant something secret, and Frank could only think of two sorts of people who would speak in code – spies and criminals.**

"And these men are both, so get out of there before he kills you!" cried Lily, she had nearly forgotten that Frank was still there.

**Frank tightened his hold on his walking stick once more, and listened more closely still.**

Lily groaned and muttered, "_Men._"

"**Your lordship is still determined then?" Wormtail said quietly.**

"**Certainly I am determined, Wormtail." There was a note of menace in the cold voice now.**

They shivered at the thought.

**A slight pause followed – and then Wormtail spoke, the words tumbling from him in a rush, as though he was forcing himself to say this before he lost his nerve.**

"**It could be done without Harry Potter, my lord."**

"WHAT!" James exploded. Lily shushed him, glancing at the door where her son was sleeping. "What does that bastard want with my son?" he said in a soft but dangerous voice.

"I don't know James, but keep reading and maybe we'll find out," said Lily in a calm voice though she too was looking worried about the safety of her baby.

**Another pause more protracted, and then – **

"**Without Harry Potter?" breathed the second voice softly. "I see…"**

"**My lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!" said Wormtail, his voice rising squeakily. **

"Definitely not Peter then," said Remus, "After all, Peter wouldn't say or do something like that."

"I thought we'd already decided that it wasn't Peter," said Sirius, who did not like these reminders.

"We did, I just thought I'd point that out as extra proof," Remus shrugged.

"**The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely if we were to use another witch or wizard – any wizard – the thing could be done so much more quickly! If you allow me to leave you for a short while – you know that I can disguise myself most effectively – I could be back here in as little as two days with a suitable person –"**

"Yes, listen to him! Use someone else, just not my son," said James urgently. Lily looked like she was about to cry.

"**I could use another wizard," said the second voice softly. "That is true…"**

"Come on, please…," said Sirius under his breath.

"**My lord, it makes sense," said Wormtail, sounding thoroughly relieved now, "laying hands on Harry Potter would be so difficult, he is so well protected –" **

"Ok, not saying that it's a bad thing, but why is he so well protected?" asked Sirius curiously.

"I dunno, almost sounds as though this was expected?" said Lily, now sounding confused. "Maybe we'll find out."

"**And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute? I wonder…perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Wormtail? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?"**

"Wouldn't be surprised if it was," said Remus.

"**My lord! I – I have no wish to leave you, none at all –"**

"**Do not lie to me!" hissed the second voice. "I can always tell, Wormtail! You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, shudder when you touch me…"**

"Who wouldn't," said all three marauders together. Lily just shook her head smiling.

"**No! My devotion to your lordship –"**

"**Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. **

"Sounds like nearly all the Death Eaters," James said scathingly.

**You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go. How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Nagini?"**

"**But you seem so much stronger, my lord –"**

"**Liar," breathed the second voice. "I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care.**

"Which is exactly why he should leave," Sirius said lightly, looking worried.

_**Silence!**_**"**

**Wormtail, who had been spluttering incoherently, fell silent at once. For a few seconds, Frank could hear nothing but the fire crackling. Then the second man spoke once more, in a whisper that was almost a kiss.**

"Ewwwwww…" said everyone in the room, shuddering at the thought.

"**I have my reasons for using the boy, as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other.**

"Why not? And what are your reasons?" James demanded, now worried and slightly agitated.

**I have waited thirteen years.**

"Merlin…thirteen years," whispered Sirius. "Who on earth managed to make Voldemort weak enough for him to have to lie low for so long?" None of them answered, they were all wondering the same thing.

**A few more months will make no difference. **

"Doesn't seem like Voldemort to be patient," Remus siad lightly.

**As for the protection surrounding the boy, I believe my plan will be effective. All that is needed is a little courage from you, Wormtail – courage you will find, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldemort's wrath –"**

"**My lord, I must speak!" said Wormtail, panic in his voice now. "All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head – my lord, Bertha Jorkins**

"Bertha Jorkins? That brainless Hufflepuff that was a year above us in school?" asked Lily curiously.

"Must be," said Remus.

**disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I curse –"**

"**If?" whispered the second voice. "**_**If? **_**If you follow the plan, Wormtail, the ministry need never know that anyone else has disappeared. You will do it quietly, and without fuss; I only wish that I could do it myself, but in my present condition…come, Wormtail, one more obstacle removed and our path to Harry Potter is clear.**

"Servant guy, whoever you are, muck up the plan!" said Sirius, who was now incredibly worried about his godson.

**I am not asking you to do it alone. By that time my **_**faithful **_**servant will have rejoined us –"**

"What faithful servant?" asked Remus, his voice slightly tinged with fear.

"_**I **_**am a faithful servant," said Wormtail, the merest trace of sullenness in his voice.**

"**Wormtail, I need somebody with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you, unfortunately, fulfill neither requirement."**

"**I found you," said Wormtail, and there was definitely a sulky edge to his voice now. **

"What is he, a three year old," Lily snapped, nerves tense.

**"I was the one who found you. I brought you Bertha Jorkins."**

"**That is true," said the second man, sounding amused. "A stroke of brilliance I would not have though possible from you, Wormtail – though, if truth be told, you were not aware how useful she would be when you caught her, were you?"**

**"I - I thought she might be useful, my Lord -" **

**"Liar," said the second voice again, the cruel amusement more pronounced than ever. "However, I do not deny that her information was invaluable.**

"What kind of information could Bertha have? I mean, I don't think she even knows I have a son, let alone anything about him," said Lily.

"Don't be so sure," cautioned Remus, "She's a gossip, and has an incredible memory."

**Without it, I could never have formed our plan, and for that, you will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform ..." **

Sirius snorted and said, "Yeah, knowing him, they probably would have to give their right hand."

**"R - really, my Lord? What -?" Wormtail sounded terrified again.**

**"Ah, Wormtail, you don't want me to spoil the surprise? Your part will come at the very end ... but I promise you, you will have the honour of being just as useful as Berths Jorkins."**

**"You ... you ..." Wormtail's voice sounded suddenly hoarse, as though his mouth had gone very dry. "You ... are going ... to kill me, too?"**

"Bertha's…dead? Oh no," whispered Lily, horrified.

**"Wormtail, Wormtail," said the cold voice silkily, "why would I kill you?** **I killed Bertha because I had to. She was fit for nothing after my questioning, quite useless. In any case, awkward questions would have been asked if she had gone back to the Ministry with the news that she had met you on her holidays. Wizards who are supposed to be dead would do well not to run into Ministry of Magic witches at wayward inns ..."**

"I wonder why this servant guy is pretending to be dead?" said Sirius curiously. They had agreed silently not to call this man Wormtail, since it just hit too close to home.

**Wormtail muttered something so quietly that Frank could not hear it, but it made the second man laugh - an entirely mirthless laugh, cold as his speech. **

**"**_**We could have modified her memory**_**? But Memory Charms can be broken by a powerful wizard, as I proved when I questioned her. It would be an insult to her **_**memory**_** not to use the information I extracted from her, Wormtail."**

"I wish he'd let slip what information he got from her!" said James impatiently.

**Out in the corridor, Frank suddenly became aware that the hand gripping his walking stick was slippery with sweat. The man with the cold voice had killed a woman. He was talking about it without any kind of remorse - with **_**amusement**_**. He was dangerous - a madman.**

"Yes, that's right, now get out of there!" cried Lily.

**And he was planning more murders - this boy, Harry Potter, whoever he was - was in danger – Frank knew what he must do. Now, if ever, was the time to go to the police.**

"Yes, go to them, and they can find Harry or someone so that he will be safe!" said Remus, who looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown.

**He would creep out of the house and head straight for the telephone box in the village ... but the cold voice was speaking again, and Frank remained where he was, frozen on the spot, listening with all his might.**

"No! For goodness sakes, leave!" begged Lily, she didn't even want to think about the consequences if he didn't…

**"One more curse ... my faithful servant at Hogwarts ... Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail. It is decided. There will be no more argument. But quiet ... I think I hear Nagini ..." **

"Finally, we find out who this Nagini is," said Sirius.

**And the second man's voice changed. He started making noises such as Frank had never heard before; he was hissing and spitting without drawing breath. Frank thought he must be having some sort of fit or seizure.**

"No he's not, he's speaking parseltongue!" said James urgently. "Nagini must be a snake!"

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, get out of there!" moaned Lily.

**And then Frank heard movement behind him in the dark passageway. He turned to look behind him, and found himself paralyzed with fright. **

**Something was slithering towards him along the dark corridor floor, and as it drew nearer to the sliver of firelight, he realized with a thrill of terror that it was a gigantic snake, at least twelve feet long.**

They were all very, very worried now.

**Horrified, transfixed, Frank stared at it as its undulating body cut a wide, curving track through the thick dust on the floor, coming closer and closer - what was he to do?**

"Wait until the snake leaves and then go!" said Remus urgently.

**The only means of escape was into the room where two men sat plotting murder, yet if he stayed where he was the snake would surely kill him.**

"No it won't, not if Voldemort is calling it!" said Sirius. They were all on the edges of their seats, waiting to find out what would happen next.

**But before he had made his decision, the snake was level with him, and then, incredibly, miraculously, it was passing; it was following the spitting, hissing noises made by the cold voice behind the door, and in seconds, the tip of its diamond-patterned tail had vanished through the gap.**

"Now, leave," they all hissed at once. They would have shouted, but Harry was still sleeping…

**There was sweat on Frank's forehead now, and the hand on the walking stick was trembling. Inside the room, the cold voice was continuing to hiss, and Frank was visited by a strange idea, an impossible idea ... **_**This man could talk to snakes.**_

"Yes, he's a parseltongue, but that doesn't matter, what does is that you need to get out of there, and warn the please-men about their plans," said Sirius urgently.

"Policemen, Padfoot," corrected Lily.

**Frank didn't understand what was going on. He wanted more than anything to be back in his bed with his hot-water bottle. The problem was that his legs didn't seem to want to move. As he stood there shaking and trying to master himself, the cold voice switched abruptly to English again. **

**"Nagini has interesting news, Wormtail," it said.**

James groaned and said flatly, "He's dead."

**"In - indeed, my Lord?" said Wormtail. **

**"Indeed, yes," said the voice. "According to Nagini, there is an old Muggle standing right outside this room, listening to every word we say."**

"That poor man," said Lily, sounding horrified.

**Frank didn't have a chance to hide himself. There were footsteps, and then the door of the room was flung wide open. **

**A short, balding man with greying hair, a pointed nose and small, watery eyes stood before Frank, a mixture of fear and alarm on his face.**

**"Invite him inside, Wormtail. Where are your manners?"**

"It's hopeless," said Remus helplessly.

**The cold voice was coming from the ancient armchair before the fire, but Frank couldn't see the speaker.**

"A good thing too," muttered Sirius darkly.

**The snake, on the other hand, was curled up on the rotting hearth-rug, like some horrible travesty of a pet dog. **

**Wormtail beckoned Frank into the room. Though still deeply shaken, Frank took a firmer grip upon his walking stick, and limped over the threshold.**

**The fire was the only source of light in the room; it was casting long, spidery shadows upon the walls. Frank stared at the back of the armchair; the man inside it seemed to be even smaller than his servant, for Frank couldn't even see the back of his head.**

The others were now looking confused.

"Oh-kay…" said Remus slowly. "What on earth happened that he's that short?"

"Yeah, isn't he supposed to be tall?" asked James curiously.

"Obviously something big happened thirteen years ago," Lily concluded, matter-of-factly. "Something that made him a lot weaker. I wonder what though?"

**"You heard everything, Muggle?" said the cold voice. **

**"What's that you're calling me?" said Frank defiantly, for now that he was inside the room, now that the time had come for some sort of action, he felt braver; it had always been so in the war. **

"Yes, but this is a lot different," said James helplessly.

**"I am calling you a Muggle," said the voice coolly. "It means that you are not a wizard." **

**"I don't know what you mean by wizard," said Frank, his voice growing steadier. "All I know is I've heard enough to interest the police tonight, I have. You've done murder and you're planning more! And I'll tell you this, too," he added, on sudden inspiration, "my wife knows I'm up here, and if I don't come back -"**

"NO!" they cried, fearing on Frank's behalf.

"Don't lie to him, he'll use Legilimency and that'll just make him madder!" urged Lily.

**"You have no wife," said the voice, very quietly. "Nobody knows you are here. You told nobody that you were coming. Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Muggle, for he knows ... he always knows ..."**

"Creepy..." James whispered.

**"Is that right?" said Frank roughly. "Lord, is it? Well, I don't think much of your manners, **_**my Lord**_**. Turn round and face me like a man, why don't you?" **

"No…" moaned Lily. She wriggled next to her husband, who immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

**"But I am not a man, Muggle," said the cold voice, barely audible now over the crackling of the flames. "I am much, much more than a man. However ... why not? I will face you ... Wormtail, come turn my chair around." **

**The servant gave a whimper. **

**"You heard me, Wormtail." **

**Slowly, with his face screwed up, as though he would rather have done anything than approach his master and the hearth-rug where the snake lay,**

"Somehow I think he would rather do anything," said Sirius grimly.

**the small man walked forwards and began to turn the chair. The snake lifted its ugly triangular head and hissed slightly as the legs of the chair snagged on its rug.**

**And then the chair was facing Frank, and he saw what was sitting in it. His walking stick fell to the floor with a clatter. He opened his mouth and let out a scream.**

"What do you think he looks like?" asked Remus curiously.

"Dunno…must be worse than he does now though," said James.

**He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke, as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled. He was dead before he hit the floor.**

"Oh no, that poor man," said Lily sadly.

"I wish that he'd at least managed to find out what they're planning…" said Remus.

"He wouldn't have had a chance of getting away anyway," said James flatly.

"You're right. Hey Prongs, just finish the chapter and then I'll read," said Sirius.

**Two hundred miles away, the boy called Harry Potter woke with a start.**

"What?!" they all said at the same time.

"Why is Harry awake? It just said that he was far away, so they couldn't be near him right?" said Lily uncertainly.

"Only one way to find out," said James, handing the book over to his best friend. "At least now we get to read about Harry," he added, trying to ease the tension a bit. It worked quite well and his wife looked up eagerly, waiting to find out what her son would be like as a teenager.

"Oh, the suspense!" cried Sirius melodramatically, and the others laughed.

**--**

_Keikolilo beta-ed this chapter (oh so long ago... I really should email her, actually) so thanks for that! Please, review, even if you had the original one, but I would love to see your feedback!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All words in bold belong to JK


	2. The Scar

_Because I've realized I've had some Polish readers here; dzien dobry! :) _

_Anyway, I'm glad that most of you have found this story, and hello to all the newbies as well! As I said in the last chapter, I have been going through these, sometimes adding in new comments here or there, so you can reread these. I know it has to be frustrating for those of you ready for Chapter 20, but bear with me! At least you don't have to wait months for updates! :) _

_This chapter, especially, has nearly a thousand more words then the original did._

_--_

_So, enjoy this chapter where three from the group discover their fates!_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

**THE SCAR**

Lily looked confused as she read the first words on the next page. "What scar?" she asked as she settled herself against her husband.

"Dunno, guess we'll have to read to find out," said Sirius, and so he continued to read.

**Harry lay flat on his back, breathing hard as though he had just been running. He had awoken from a vivid dream with his hands pressed over his face.**

"Oh no, my poor Harry had a bad dream!" moaned Lily.

"Don't worry Lily, I'm sure your future self will be there to comfort him," said Remus soothingly.

**The old scar on his forehead, which was shaped like a bolt of lightning,**

"A scar like a bolt of lightning?" asked James curiously.

"It sounds…" Remus was looking uncomfortable as he finished the sentence. "It sounds like a curse scar."

"What!" hissed James. "Who in hell cursed my son?" All four of them were looking livid now, trying to find a suitable punishment for whoever dared curse little Harry James Potter.

**was burning beneath his fingers as though someone had just pressed a white-hot wire to his skin.**

"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Lily, sounding frightened as she looked around uneasily. Sirius just looked uneasy as he continued to read.

**He sat up, one hand still on his scar, the other reaching out in the darkness for his glasses, **

"Damn, looks like he inherited my eyesight," James said ruefully, running his hand through his hair.

"Poor kid," Sirius said with an easy smile.

**which were on the bedside table. He put them on and his bedroom came into clearer focus, lit by a faint, misty orange light that was filtering through the curtains from the street lamp outside the window. **

**Harry ran his fingers over the scar again. It was still painful. **

"So, don't just sit there, come and wake us – your parents – up!" James said impatiently.

**He turned on the lamp beside him, scrambled out of bed, crossed the room, opened his wardrobe and peered into the mirror on the inside of the door. **

"That's not what I said," James stated.

"Looks like he definitely inherited the Marauder genes," Remus teased lightly. James seemed torn between being proud or being horrified at the task that was before him.

**A skinny boy of fourteen looked back at him, **

"Oh, so Harry's fourteen now!" said James, perking up.

Sirius also looked happy and excited as he said, "Ah, the things we did at fourteen…" his eyes looking wistful as he remembered just what had made the marauders legends at Hogwarts.

"You are not corrupting my son!" said Lily firmly, though her eyes were sparkling with laughter.

**his bright green eyes puzzled under his untidy black hair.**

"Ha, he still has the Potter hair!" laughed Remus. "Poor kid."

"But he has Lily's eyes," James pointed out, sounding immeasurably happy. "I always hoped he would."

**He examined the lightning-bolt scar of his reflection more closely. It looked normal, but it was still stinging.**

"Again, listen to me and go wake us up," James urged.

**Harry tried to recall what he had been dreaming about before he had awoken. It had seemed so real ... there had been two people he knew, and one he didn't ... he concentrated hard, frowning, trying to remember...**

"Wait a second, is Harry dreaming things that are real?" asked Lily curiously.

"It certainly seems so," said Remus, deep in thought. "I wonder why or how though?"

**The dim picture of a darkened room came to him ... there had been a snake on the hearth-rug ... and a cold, high voice ... the voice of Lord Voldemort.**

James bit his lip nervously. "How does Harry know what Voldemort sounds like?" he asked, beginning to panic.

"They called him 'Lord' Voldemort in the dream," Sirius pointed out, though he, too, looked worried.

**Harry felt as though an ice cube had slipped down into his stomach at the very thought... **

"Yeah, us too, buddy, us too," Sirius said softly, shivering at the reminder of the imagery that the last chapter had given them.

**He closed his eyes tightly and tried to remember what Voldemort had looked like, but it was impossible... **

"That's right, it didn't mention that at all, did it?" Lily said suddenly.

"And if Harry really did see it, then I think we can all be absolutely thrilled about that," James said firmly.

"Hear, hear," Sirius said, throwing his best friend a mock salute and a wink.

**All Harry knew was that at the moment when Voldemort's chair had swung around, and he, Harry, had seen what was sitting in it, **

"Wait, so he did see it?" Remus clarified.

"I don't know," James admitted, chewing his lip in worry.

**he had felt a spasm of horror which had awoken him ... or had it been the pain in his scar?**

"Oh, my poor baby," Lily said, chewing on her fingernails. "I hope he's going to be alright."

"He'll be fine Lils," James said. "A lot quicker if he would listen to me and go wake someone up for help!"

**And who had the old man been? For there had definitely been an old man; Harry had watched him fall to the ground. **

Remus hissed, "Damn, poor Harry, having to see… that."

"I forgot about that," Sirius said, looking up. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," James said firmly, unwilling to even consider a different alternative.

**It was all becoming confusing; Harry put his face into his hands, blocking out his bedroom, trying to hold on to the picture of the dimly lit room, but it was like trying to keep water in his cupped hands; the details were now trickling away as fast as he tried to hold on to them...**

"You shouldn't try to hold onto them, Harry," Sirius advised.

**Voldemort and Wormtail had been talking about someone they had killed, though Harry could not remember the name ... they had plotting to kill someone else ... **_**him**_**...**

"Don't worry Harry, we'll make sure nothing happens," reassured Remus, making the other three nodded in agreement.

**Harry took his face out of his hands, opened his eyes and stared around his bedroom as though expecting to see something unusual there.**

"Which there won't be," James said calmly. "Now, just go and wake. Us. Up."

**As it happened, there were an extraordinary number of unusual things in this room. **

"Wait, why?" James demanded, sitting up.

**A large wooden trunk stood open at the foot of his bed, revealing a cauldron, broomstick, black robes and assorted spellbooks. Rolls of parchment littered that part of his desk that was not taken up by the large cage in which his snowy owl, Hedwig, usually perched.**

"Hey, what makes that so unusual!" James demanded. "It's just his Hogwarts stuff!"

Lily, on the other hand, had paid more attention to a different part of the paragraph, "Harry has a snowy owl, that's so cute!" she cooed. The three men had to repress the urge to roll their eyes, though James had to admit the urge wasn't that big for him…

**On the floor beside his bed a book lay open; he had been reading it before he fell asleep the previous night. **

"Really?" Lily asked, perking up. "Maybe Harry will enjoy books after all."

**The pictures in the book were all moving. Men in bright orange robes were zooming in and out of sight on broomsticks, throwing a red ball to each other.**

"Naturally," Lily grumbled, sliding back down into her seat. James, on the other hand, has sat up and was beaming.

"Ha! Reading up on Quidditch before bed, that's my boy!" said James proudly. The others didn't dignify that with a response.

**Harry walked over to this book, picked it up and watched one of the wizards score a spectacular goal by putting the ball through a fifty-foot-high hoop. Then he snapped the book shut. Even Quidditch - in Harry's opinion, the best sport in the world**

"I completely agree with you there, son," said James enthusiastically as Lily began to mutter about having another "Quidditch nut".

**- couldn't distract him at the moment. **

James growled in frustration. "You're not meant to be distracting yourself, you were _meant _to go and get either me or your mother."

**He placed **_**Flying with the Cannons**_

"I wonder why on earth he'd have a Cannons book, though," Sirius mused.

**on his bedside table, crossed to the window and drew back the curtains to survey the street below. **

**Privet Drive**

"Privet Drive? Where on earth is that?" asked Remus, now confused. "Did you move from Godrics Hollow or something?"

"I dunno, maybe," said James, though he looked doubtful. He and Lily loved their house at Godrics Hollow.

**looked exactly as a respectable suburban street would be expected to look in the early hours of Saturday morning. All the curtains were closed. As far as Harry could see through the darkness, there wasn't a living creature in sight, not even a cat.**

"What about a dog?" Sirius asked, making Lily look at him strangely and James and Sirius chuckle.

**And yet ... and yet ... Harry went restlessly back to his bed and sat down on it, running a finger over his scar again. It wasn't the pain that bothered him; Harry was no stranger to pain and injury. **

"WHAT?!" they all hissed.

"And why would that be," said Lily in a very low and dangerous voice. The others visibly gulped – Merlin help the person that was on the receiving end of Lily Potter's wrath.

**He had lost all the bones from his right arm once, and had them painfully re-grown at night. **

Remus whistled and said, "That would hurt."

**The same arm had been pierced by a venomous foot-long fang not long afterwards.**

"What! Just how did a venomous snake get so close to my godson," this time it was Sirius who hissed, though the others all looked livid as well.

**Only last year Harry had fallen fifty feet from an airborne broomstick. **

"I wonder how that happened," said James curiously, though his voice did betray the anger he was feeling.

**He was used to bizarre accidents and injuries; they were unavoidable if you attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and had a knack for attracting a lot of trouble.**

"There are two different types of trouble," Lily said, "I don't mind the first kind too much, but for goodness sakes, why in the world would you get involved in the second kind?"

"Maybe he doesn't," James pointed out, though it sounded as though he didn't believe it himself.

**No, the thing that was bothering Harry was that the last time his scar had hurt him, it had been because Voldemort had been close by...**

"What is that supposed to mean, Harry can feel when Voldemort is near?" asked Sirius, utterly bewildered.

"I guess, but why and how and why did it have to be MY son?" said James helplessly, not liking the fact that his son was in pain and he couldn't do anything to protect him.

**But Voldemort couldn't be here, now ... The idea of Voldemort lurking in Privet Drive was absurd, impossible... **

"Maybe that's why you moved Prongs, to get away from Voldemort," suggested Remus, though he knew it was unlikely.

**Harry listened closely to the silence around him. Was he half expecting to hear the creak of a stair, or the swish of a cloak? And then he jumped slightly as he heard his cousin Dudley give a tremendous grunting snore from the next room.**

"What on earth do you mean his cousin!?" demanded Lily. James also looked mad, "What on earth is Harry doing there?"

**Harry shook himself mentally; he was being stupid; there was no one in the house with him except Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, and they were plainly still asleep, their dreams untroubled and painless. **

"Petunia? As in my sister Petunia? Why on earth is Harry living with my idiotic sister and her brainless husband and son?" hissed Lily, though no one answered. They didn't want to think about what had happened…

**Asleep was the way Harry liked the Dursleys best; it wasn't as though they were ever any help to him awake. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley were Harry's only living relatives. **

"_What_? But that … that means…" James' voice trailed off as he realized what exactly that meant. Next to him Lily gave a dry sob, and Sirius and Remus found themselves with tears in their eyes.

**They were Muggles (non-magic people) who hated and despised magic in any form, which meant that Harry was about as welcome in their house as dry rot.**

All of them were too busy grieving the loss of their friends (or in James and Lily's case, their own death) to respond to the insult, though a spark of anger did appear in their eyes.

**They had explained Harry's long absences at Hogwarts over the last three years by telling everyone that he went to St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. **

James' eyes narrowed, making a rather strange sight as they sparkled with tears and anger.

**They knew perfectly well that, as an underage wizard, Harry wasn't allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts, but were still apt to blame him for anything that went wrong in the house.**

Lily began muttering under her breath, as she pulled herself together. After all, she wasn't dead yet, and hopefully it would be a while before she did eventually die. And now that she knew, she would let it happen. She was not afraid of death, but she refused to leave her baby boy all alone in the world without his mother. As much as she loved and trusted Sirius, she wanted herself or James to be there, and if that meant changing the future then so be it.

**Harry had never been able to confide in them, or tell them anything about his life in the wizarding world. **

Lily's eyes narrowed. Definitely refused to leave her baby behind.

**The very idea of going to them when they awoke, and telling them about his scar hurting him, and his worries about Voldemort, was laughable.**

"My poor baby," said Lily sadly, as she cuddled up against James for comfort. He immediately put his arms around her as Sirius continued to read, slightly shaken from what the book had revealed, and wondering what the heck had happened to him.

**And yet it was because of Voldemort that Harry had to come to live with the Dursleys in the first place. **

_Like I guessed, _James thought grimly.

**If it hadn't been for Voldemort, Harry would not have the lightning scar on his forehead. **

"He will pay for that one," Lily vowed, ignoring the fact that it was the most powerful dark wizard in history that she was swearing vengeance against.

**If it hadn't been for Voldemort, Harry would still have parents...**

Sirius stopped reading as he looked over to his best friend. Lily was shaking slightly, but had a determined look in her eye. James just nodded for Sirius to continue. He wanted to know more about this so he could beat it. He was not going to leave his only son alone.

**Harry had been a year old the night that Voldemort**

"A year old…" James whispered. That meant that they had less than a year left to live. No, he couldn't think that way. It would be changed, and he would live to see his only son graduate from Hogwarts.

Sirius was hesitant to continue, but Lily put a stop to that by saying, "If I can't be there for Harry, then I at least want to know what kind of person he is." James nodded in agreement and added, "Besides, I want to know more about this…"

Sirius nodded in agreement, as did Remus, both obviously having the same idea as James, both willing to move mountains to try and keep their friends alive.

**the most powerful Dark Wizard for a century, a wizard who had been gaining power steadily for eleven years – **

"Ever since 1970, the year before we started at Hogwarts," Sirius said dully.

**arrived at his house and killed his father and mother.**

Lily and James were white, pale with shock, and Sirius' voice shook as he continued to read.

**Voldemort had then turned his wand on Harry; he had performed the curse that had disposed of many full-grown witches and wizards in his steady rise to power – **

"Far too many," Remus whispered, and he shuddered to think that two of his best friends in all the world would be added to that number.

**and, incredibly, it had not worked.**

Now they were all surprised. "What does he mean, it didn't work?" asked Lily curiously.

**Instead of killing the small boy, the curse had rebounded upon Voldemort. **

"You have got to be kidding me," said James in an awed voice.

**Harry had survived with nothing but a lightning-shaped cut on his forehead, **

"Well, that answers the question of who cursed Harry," said Remus.

**and Voldemort had been reduced to something barely alive. **

"Wait a minute," said James slowly. "You mean the one that managed to weaken Voldemort for thirteen years … is my son!?"

**His powers gone, his life almost extinguished, Voldemort had fled; **

"Sounds like it," said Remus, in answer to James' question

**the terror in which the secret community of witches and wizards had lived for so long had lifted, Voldemort's followers had disbanded, and Harry Potter had become famous.**

"That's my boy," said James softly, though this time he said it with a sort of wistful smile on his face.

**It had been enough of a shock for Harry to discover, on his eleventh birthday, that he was a wizard; **

"Wait, you mean Petunia never told him?" hissed Lily, her shock at finding out about her death was now overruled with her annoyance at her sister. The others were quite mad as well, though Sirius and Remus were wondering, somewhat nervously, what had happened to them and whether they had also died that night.

**it had been even more disconcerting to find out that everyone in the hidden wizarding world knew his name. Harry had arrived at Hogwarts to find that heads turned and whispers followed him wherever he went.**

"Doesn't sound that dissimilar to when we were at Hogwarts," Sirius said, smiling wryly.

"Yeah, but not when we were in first year," Remus pointed out, wincing sympathetically to Harry's plight.

**But he was used to it now: At the end of this summer, he would be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts; and he was already counting the days until he would be back at the castle again. **

"Who wouldn't, if you lived with my prat-of-a-sister! Oh, my poor little baby," moaned Lily.

**But there was still a fortnight to go before he went back to school. He looked hopelessly around his room again, and his eye paused on the birthday cards his two best friends had sent him at the end of July. What would they say if he wrote to them and told them about his scar burning?**

**At once, Hermione Granger's voice filled his head, shrill and panicky. **

_**"Your scar hurt? Harry, that's really serious ... Write to Professor Dumbledore! And I'll go and check**_** Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions ... **_**Maybe there's something in there about curse scars...**_**" **

Sirius and James sat stunned for a moment before bursting out laughing. Lily and Remus exchanged a look that clearly said that they had no idea what on earth they were on about.

Finally James just said, "That sounds exactly like something you would say Remus!" Lily just rolled her eyes, as Remus blushed slightly while throwing his two best friends a dirty look.

**Yes, that would be Hermione's advice: Go straight to the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and in the meantime, consult a book.**

"Yep, definitely Remus incarnated," said Sirius, laughing again. The reply to this was a pillow thrown at him by a very annoyed werewolf.

**Harry stared out of the window at the inky, blue-black sky. He doubted very much whether a book could help him now. As far as he knew, he was the only living person to have survived a curse like Voldemort's; it was highly unlikely, therefore, that he would find his symptoms listed in **_**Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions**_**.**

"He has got a fair point there," said Remus, now frowning slightly.

"Still, Harry, you should still write to Dumbledore; maybe he can help," urged Lily. The others didn't have the heart to tell her that Harry couldn't hear her.

**As for informing that Headmaster, Harry had no idea where Dumbledore went during the summer holidays.**

"That doesn't matter; your owl … what was her name, Hedwig? Anyway she'll be able to find him," urged Remus.

**He amused himself for a moment, picturing Dumbledore, with his long silver beard, full-length wizard's robes and pointed hat, stretched out on a beach somewhere, rubbing suntan lotion into his long crooked nose.**

They all snorted at Harry's mental image.

**Wherever Dumbledore was, though, Harry was sure that Hedwig would be able to find him; Harry's owl had never failed to deliver a letter to anyone, even without an address. **

"Damn smart owl," James said approvingly.

**But what would he write?**

_**Dear Professor Dumbledore.**_

_**Sorry to bother you, but my scar hurt this morning. **_

_**Yours sincerely, Harry Potter.**_

**Even inside his head the words sounded stupid. **

"That doesn't matter Harry James Potter – I still think you should write to him," said Lily sternly, sounding very much like a strict mother.

"Lily's right, I bet Albus would still be able to find a way to help," said James.

**And so he tried again to imagine his other best friend, Ron Weasley's, reaction, and in a moment, Ron's long-nosed, freckled face seemed to swim before Harry, **

"Well, that's not a very flattering description," Remus said, looking slightly taken aback.

**wearing a bemused expression. **

**"**_**Your scar hurt? But ... You-Know-Who can't be near you now, can he? I mean ... you'd know, wouldn't you? He'd be trying to do you in again, wouldn't he? I dunno, Harry, maybe curse scars always twinge a bit ... I'll ask Dad..."**_

Remus smirked. "Well it looks like Harry has a friend like Sirius as well."

Sirius scowled and tried to retaliate. "Excuse me, I wouldn't go to my father of all people about something like that, or anything, for that matter."

"No, but your reaction would be to go to someone else," said Remus, smirking, as Sirius began to mutter about werewolves that were too smart for their own good.

**Mr Weasley was a fully qualified wizard who worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, **

"I think I might have seen him around once or twice," James mused, brow creasing as he tried to remember.

"Well, next time you do, talk to him," Lily encouraged.

**but he didn't have any particular expertise in the matter of curses, as far as Harry knew.**

**In any case, Harry didn't like the idea of the whole Weasley family knowing that he, Harry, was getting jumpy about a few moments' pain. **

"Pride," Lily muttered under her breath.

**Mrs Weasley would fuss worse then Hermione, and Fred and George, Ron's sixteen-year-old twin brothers, might think Harry was losing his nerve. The Weasleys were Harry's favourite family in the world; he was hoping they might invite him to stay any time now (Ron mentioned something about the Quidditch World Cup), **

"Hey cool, Harry'll get to see the cup!" said James enthusiastically, perking up at the mention of the cup.

**and he somehow didn't want his visit punctuated with anxious enquiries about his scar.**

"I suppose it would get annoying after a while," mused Remus.

**Harry kneaded his forehead with his knuckles. What he really wanted (and he felt almost shameful to admit it to himself) was someone like - someone like a **_**parent,**_

Lily felt a tear rolling down her face, as she imagined her teenage son wishing for her and her husband.

**an adult whose advise he could ask without feeling stupid, someone who cared about him, who had had experience of Dark Magic...**

"C'mon, you can't tell me that none of the other marauders aren't around anymore," said James quietly, hoping that they still were.

**And then the solution came to him. It was so simple and so obvious that he couldn't believe it had taken him so long - **_**Sirius**_**.**

James breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey, Sirius, you'll help Harry right?"

"You need to ask?" said Sirius, who was relieved that he was alive to help his godson, but one thing was bothering him… "If I'm still around why is Harry living with the Dursleys?"

"That is odd," admitted Remus, "but I'm sure that there's a reasonable explanation."

**Harry leapt up from the bed, hurried across the room and sat down at his desk; he pulled a piece of parchment towards him, loaded his eagle-feather quill with ink, wrote **_**Dear Sirius**_**, then paused wondering how best to phrase his problem, and still marveling at the fact that he hadn't thought of Sirius straight away.**

"You know, that's a fair question…" said James. "I wonder what happened?"

"It had better be good or I'll kick myself," said Sirius under his breath.

**But then, perhaps it wasn't so surprising - after all, he had only found out that Sirius was his Godfather two months ago.**

"What?" the marauders and Lily cried.

"There's no way that Petunia would be able to keep something like that from Harry," said Lily.

"Which means there has to be a different explanation," said Remus grimly, not even wanting to think about why Sirius would be absent from Harry's life for so long.

**There was a simple reason for Sirius' complete absence from Harry's life until then**

"I don't care if it's simple, but it had better be good!" Sirius snarled.

**Sirius had been in Azkaban, **

Every single jaw in the room dropped.

"What on earth?" asked James, shocked.

**the terrifying wizard jail guarded by creatures called Dementors, sightless, soul-sucking fiends who had come to search for Sirius at Hogwarts when he had escaped.**

"Escaped?" said Remus incredulously. "From Azkaban? Is that even possible?"

"Apparently." James whistled and said, "Trust you Padfoot, to do the impossible and escape from Azkaban."

"I'm more curious to know what I did to land me in Azkaban in the first place," said Sirius grimly. He was beginning to look uneasy … just what had he done that was so bad?

**Yet Sirius had been innocent**

"You mean that they sent an innocent man to Azkaban?" said Lily, her eyes wide with horror.

"I guess you must have been framed, Padfoot," said Remus, "but how… I have no idea."

**- the murder for which he had been convicted had been committed by Wormtail, Voldemort's supporter, whom nearly everybody now believed dead.**

"So this servant guy framed me by killing a bunch of people and faking his own death as well?" said Sirius.

"Well, why couldn't you have said that under Veritaserum at your trial?" asked Lily.

"How am I supposed to know? This is the future, though I have to admit it's not looking very well," said Sirius.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione knew otherwise, however; they had come face to face with Wormtail the previous year, though only Professor Dumbledore had believed their story. **

"'Course, Albus believes everyone as long as they have some proof or if he trusts them a lot," said James confidently.

**For one glorious hour, Harry had believed that he was leaving the Dursleys at last, because Sirius had offered him a home once his name had been cleared. **

"Oh, thank you so much Sirius!" gushed Lily.

"Hey Lily, I obviously couldn't since apparently the servant got away. Besides you don't think I'd take care of my own godson and my best friends' son?"

"Well, thanks for offering anyway Sirius!"

**But the chance was snatched away from him - Wormtail had escaped before they could take him to the Ministry of Magic, **

"Bastard," James cursed, narrowing his eyes. Peter had better hope that it wasn't really him…

**and Sirius had had to flee for his life. Harry had helped him escape on the back of a Hippogriff called Buckbeak, and since then, Sirius had been on the run.**

"On the run with a hippogriff. Sounds like Sirius alright," said Remus, smiling.

"Oh, shut up Moony," said Sirius good-naturedly. His tense muscles relaxed slightly, knowing that he was alright, but he could tell that he was still a little pale over the thought of spending a prolonged amount of time in Azkaban. He shivered just at the thought of the dementors; and couldn't help but wonder bleakly what he was like in the future.

**The home Harry might have had if Wormtail had not escaped had been haunting him all summer. It had been doubly hard returning to the Dursleys knowing that he had so nearly escaped them for ever.**

"Oh, my poor baby," said Lily sadly, and James too looked downcast as he motioned for Sirius to keep going.

**Nevertheless, Sirius had been of some help to Harry, even if he couldn't be with him. **

"Ha, see, you did do something!" said Lily.

**It was due to Sirius that Harry now had all his school things in his bedroom with him. **

"Is that a good thing?" Sirius joked, trying to bring things back to a light hearted ground.

**The Dursleys had never allowed this before; their general wish of keeping Harry as miserable as possible, **

Lily and James began to grind their teeth as they imagined some suitable atrocities to inflict upon Petunia and Vernon.

**coupled with their fear of his powers, had led them to lock his school trunk in the cupboard under the stairs every summer prior to this. **

"Well, that _would _be bad, how in the world would Harry be able to do his summer work and keep up his grades?" Remus asked, frowning.

"Damn Petunia," Lily said frostily.

**But their attitude had changed since they found out that Harry had a dangerous murderer for a godfather - Harry had conveniently forgotten to tell them that Sirius was innocent.**

They all started laughing at this. "That's my boy," said James between laughs.

"Oh, I wish I could have seen the look on Petunia's face," smirked Lily.

**Harry had received two letters from Sirius since he had been back at Privet Drive. Both had been delivered, not by owls **

"What did you do, Sirius," Lily asked warily.

**(as was usual with wizards) but by large, brightly coloured, tropical birds. **

"Typical of you, mate," said James, shaking his head with a smile.

**Hedwig had not approved of these flashy intruders; she had been most reluctant to allow them to drink from her water tray before flying off again.**

"Proud owl," Remus laughed.

"They suit each other," Lily said wryly.

**Harry, on the other hand, had liked them; they put him in mind of palm trees and white sands, and he hoped that wherever Sirius was (Sirius never said, in case the letters were intercepted) **

"Probably somewhere down far south," Sirius mused, "I've always wanted to go there… although, I'd probably prefer it if it were better circumstances."

**he was enjoying himself.**

"Don't worry Harry, I'm sure I am," Sirius assured.

**Somehow, Harry found it hard to imagine Dementors surviving for long in bright sunlight; perhaps that was why Sirius had gone south. Sirius' letters, which were now hidden beneath the highly useful loose floorboard **

"Very useful things," James agreed, nodding. "That, and false bottoms in drawers."

**under Harry's bed, sounded cheerful, and in both of them he had reminded Harry to call on him if ever Harry needed to. Well, he needed to now, all right... **

"So write to him," urged Remus.

**Harry's lamp seemed to grow dimmer as the cold grey light that preceded sunrise slowly crept into the room. Finally, when the sun had risen, when his bedroom walls had turned gold and the sounds of movement could be heard from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's room, Harry cleared his desk of crumpled pieces of parchment, and re-read his finished letter.**

"Really, Harry, you don't have to worry that much over what you write to me," Sirius said, frowning slightly.

_**Dear Sirius,**_

_**Thanks for your last letter, that bird was enormous, it could hardly get through my window.**_

"I wonder what the neighbours thought," Lily said, sniggering, knowing how much her sister set store as to what people thought of her.

_**Things are the same as usual here. Dudley's diet isn't going too well. My aunt found him smuggling doughnuts into his room yesterday. They told him they'd have to cut his pocket money if he keeps doing it, so he got really angry and chucked his PlayStation out of the window. **_

"Well, really, isn't that rather pointless?" Lily huffed.

"Doesn't sound like the brightest bulb in the lightbox," Remus agreed, rolling his eyes at the thought of such a spoiled child. "Although… what if a PlayStation, exactly?"

"Yeah, that's what I was wondering," Sirius added.

"Well… I don't really know," Lily admitted. "It must be something that was invented later on in the future. From the sound of it though, its just something fun to do in your spare time."

"Muggles are strange," Sirius stated, wondering what could be so enjoyable yet also small enough to be thrown out of a window.

_**That's a sort of computer thing you can play games on.**_

"Oh, honestly, Petunia didn't honestly give him a computer," Lily said incredulously. "I mean, they're horribly expensive, and incredibly hard to get, too."

"I don't think I'm even going to bother to try and work out what it is," Sirius said to Remus.

"Me neither," Remus agreed.

_**Bit stupid really, now he hasn't even got**_** Mega-Mutilation Part Three **_**to take his mind off things.**_

"What can you expect from someone related to Petunia and Vernon?" muttered James under his breath.

"And giving a child a game like that to play," Lily raved.

_**I'm OK, mainly because the Durselys are terrified you might turn up and turn them all into bats if I ask you to.**_

"There should be no 'might' in that sentence, Harry," Sirius advised, "I'd do it in a heartbeat."

_**A weird thing happened this morning, though. My scar hurt again. Last time that happened it was because Voldemort was at Hogwarts. But I don't reckon he can be here now, can he? Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt years afterwards?**_

"He didn't mention the dream," Remus noted.

"Hang on, there is still a little bit more to the letter," Sirius said, pointing at the page.

_**I'll send this with Hedwig when she gets back, she's off hunting at the moment. Say hello to Buckbeak for me.**_

_**Harry**_

"He didn't mention it," James stated, narrowing his eyes.

"Pride. He had to inherit your damn pride, Potter," Lily groaned rolling your eyes.

**Yes, thought Harry, that looked all right. **

"You mean there is nothing missing?" Sirius asked wryly, looking a little hurt that Harry would leave something out.

**There was no point putting in the dream, he didn't want it to look as though he was too worried. **

Lily made a noise. "Hmmph. Nevertheless Harry, you should still put in everything, I'm sure Sirius would be able to help, and if not he can ask Remus."

"Not to mention that I would want you to put in the dream," Sirius added.

"What even makes you think that I'm still around?" Remus asked.

"I'm sure you're still around, Moony," said James with assurance.

**He folded the parchment up and laid it aside on his desk, ready for when Hedwig returned. Then he got to his feet, stretched and opened his wardrobe once more. Without glancing at his reflection, he started to get dressed before going down to breakfast.**

"That's the end of the chapter," said Sirius.

"Well, we definitely discovered quite a lot," said James.

"A little too much, really," Lily said, not really wanting to think about what she had found out.

* * *

_This chapter was beta-ed by __**keikolilo, **__so thanks to her for this!_

_Please review, and let me know if you liked this chapter. :)_

_Until next time!_


	3. The Invitation

_To the newbies, welcome! I hope you enjoy the chapter. To all the others who have stuck with me, welcome back! I hope you enjoy the changes to this chapter... _

_Sorry for the long wait, but the amount of stress I have been under is insane..._

_Thanks to Keikolilo for beta-ing this one..._

_Disclaimer: All words in bold belong to JKR. No copyright infringement intended... Please don't sue!_

--

**CHAPTER THREE**

**THE INVITATION**

"Oh, good, looks like Harry is gonna get out of there," said James, pleased. Lily looked happy as well as Remus began to read.

**By the time Harry arrived in the kitchen, the three Dursleys were already seated around the table. None of them looked up as he entered or sat down. **

James scowled.

**Uncle Vernon's large red face was hidden behind the morning's Daily Mail and Aunt Petunia was cutting a grapefruit into quarters, her lips pursed over her horse-like teeth. **

"Horse-like is right!" muttered Lily furiously.

**Dudley looked furious and sulky, and somehow seemed to be taking up even more space than usual. **

**This was saying something, as he always took up an entire side of the square table by himself. **

"Ugh" said all four of them. "How could any parent let their child get so big?" wondered Lily in a disgusted voice. "But then again, the parent in question _is _my sister," she mused under her breath, rolling her eyes. "Typical."

**When Aunt Petunia put a quarter of unsweetened grapefruit onto Dudley's plate with a tremulous "There you are, Diddy darling," **

They all burst into laughter. "Diddy darling!" said Sirius mockingly.

**Dudley glowered at her. His life had taken a most unpleasant turn since he had come home for the summer with his end-of-year report. **

"Doesn't it always," Sirius said, sighing, remembering the many comments he had had about being a 'disruption' and all his detentions and pranks. Mrs Potter had delivered many a lecture to him and James about their reports.

"Actually, I always found it to be incredibly fun," Lily said, laughing at them.

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had managed to find excuses for his bad marks as usual; Aunt Petunia always insisted that Dudley was a very gifted boy whose teachers didn't understand him; **

"Right," Remus said scathingly.

**while Uncle Vernon maintained that "he didn't want some swotty little nancy boy for a son anyway". **

"Well that's good, 'cause you're not getting one," said Sirius darkly.

**They also skated over the accusations of bullying in the report - "He's a boisterous little boy, but he wouldn't hurt a fly!" said Aunt Petunia tearfully. **

"Somehow I doubt it," said Remus grimly.

**However, at the bottom of the report there were a few well chosen comments from the school nurse which not even Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia could explain away. No matter how much Aunt Petunia wailed that Dudley was big-boned, and that his poundage was really puppy-fat, **

"He takes up an entire side of the table and you consider it puppy fat?" asked Remus incredulously.

**and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food, the fact remained that the school outfitters didn't stock knickerbockers big enough for him anymore. **

"How could anyone get so big that there are no clothes for them?" said James, clearly disgusted as much as his wife.

**The school nurse had seen what Aunt Petunia's eyes - so sharp when it came to spotting fingerprints on her gleaming walls, and in observing the comings and goings of the neighbours - **

"She always did love her gossip," James snorted bitterly.

**simply refused to see: that, far from needing extra nourishment, Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale.**

"And Petunia wanted to ignore this?" asked Lily incredulously.

**So - after many tantrums, after arguments that shook Harry's bedroom floor, and many tears from Aunt Petunia - the new regime had begun. The diet sheet that had been sent by the Smeltings school nurse had been taped to the fridge, which had been emptied of all Dudley's favourite things - fizzy drinks and cakes, chocolate bars and burgers - and filled instead with fruit and vegetables and the sorts of things that Uncle Vernon called "rabbit food".**

"Hmph. It'll probably do you good to lose some weight as well," said Lily scathingly (she remembered meeting Vernon once a few years ago). She still couldn't believe that her own sister had actually married that oaf.

**To make Dudley feel better about it all, Aunt Petunia had insisted that the whole family follow the diet too. She now passed a grapefruit quarter to Harry. He noticed that it was a lot smaller than Dudley's. **

"What!" yelled James. "That's favouritism! It's not as if Harry needs to follow that stupid diet, the book said that he was very skinny!"

Sirius and Remus were glowering as well, though not nearly as much as Lily when she thought of her son not getting enough nourishment.

James wouldn't be surprised if Voldemort would even dare starve Harry if Lily was around glaring at him like that!

**Aunt Petunia seemed to feel that the best way to keep up Dudley's morale was to make sure that he did, at least, get more to eat than Harry.**

Lily just kept on glowering at the book, making Remus a bit uncomfortable, though he didn't say anything.

**But Aunt Petunia didn't know what was hidden under the loose floorboard upstairs. **

"Why, what's under the loose floorboard?" asked Sirius curiously.

"If he's anything like James, it could be anything," Lily smiled wryly.

**She had no idea that Harry wasn't following the diet at all. The moment he had got wind of the fact that he was expected to survive the summer on carrot sticks, Harry had sent Hedwig to his friends with pleas for help, and they had risen to the occasion magnificently.**

They all started laughing again. "I swear Prongs, that kid is exactly like you," gasped out Remus.

"And for once I'm not gonna complain!" said Lily, happier now that she knew Harry was getting at least some proper nourishment.

**Hedwig had returned from Hermione's house with a large box stuffed full of sugar-free snacks (Hermione's parents were dentists). **

"Dentists?" asked Sirius curiously.

"They're people that look at your teeth. Hermione must be muggle born," said Lily. "You know, you really should have taken muggle studies."

Sirius looked mystified ("Muggles have people to look at _teeth_? What nutters!") and rolled his eyes at Lily's Muggle Studies comment, as Remus continued to read.

**Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had obliged with a sack full of his own home-made rock cakes (Harry hadn't touched these; he had had too much experience of Hagrid's cooking). **

"Wise choice, son," said James with a chuckle.

**Mrs Weasley, however, had sent the family owl, Errol, with an enormous fruitcake and assorted pasties. Poor Errol, who was elderly and feeble, had needed a full five days to recover from the journey.**

Sirius and James both snickered at the thought, and Lily just smiled at the thought that maybe someone was trying to take care of her baby while she couldn't, ignoring the slight pang of jealousy that she wasn't the one taking care of him.

**And then on Harry's birthday (which the Dursleys had completely ignored) **

The three marauders glared in hatred at the book, and Lily seemed to glow in power as she wondered of the … surprises she would give Petunia next time she saw her!

**he had had received four superb birthday cakes, one each from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Sirius. **

"Oh, good Sirius, you're making sure he's having fun!" said Lily, pleased.

"He's my godson!" said Sirius indignantly. "Of course I'm going to try and make sure he has fun!"

**Harry still had two of them left, and so, looking forward to a real breakfast when he got back upstairs, he started eating his grapefruit without complaint.**

"Just make sure you eat a lot," said Lily fussingly.

**Uncle Vernon laid aside his paper with a deep sniff of disapproval and looked down at his own grapefruit quarter. **

**"Is this it?" he said grumpily to Aunt Petunia. **

"It'll be more than enough to satisfy a fat lard like you!" said James sharply, still nettled over the treatment of his precious baby boy.

**Aunt Petunia gave him a very severe look, and then nodded pointedly at Dudley, who had already finished his own grapefruit quarter, and was eyeing Harry's with a very sour look in his little piggy eyes.**

"You even dare…" said Sirius menacingly, letting the rest of his sentence trail off, but leaving no doubt over what he would do.

**Uncle Vernon gave a great sigh with ruffled his large, butchy moustache, and picked up his spoon. **

**The doorbell rang. Uncle Vernon heaved himself out of his chair and set off down the hall. **

**Quick as a flash, while his mother was occupied with the kettle, Dudley stole the rest of Uncle Vernon's grapefruit.**

"Pig," muttered Remus. Normally he wasn't one for insulting people, that was done by James and Sirius, but anybody that hurt Harry…

All right, so all three marauders were protective but Harry was just the cutest baby in existence, their ray of light in the war torn world.

**Harry heard talking at the door, and someone laughing, and Uncle Vernon answering curtly. Then the front door closed, and the sound of ripping paper came from the hall. **

"Wonder what happened," Sirius said curiously.

**Aunt Petunia set the teapot down on the table and looked curiously around to see where Uncle Vernon had got to. She didn't have to wait long to find out; after about a minute, he was back. He looked livid. **

**"You," he barked at Harry. "In the living room. Now."**

"He has a name you know!" said James and though his voice was mad his eyes betrayed the pain he was feeling. Harry was supposed to grow up with him and Lily and be loved and open hundreds of presents on Christmas morning, and be spoiled not live with those _people. _

**Bewildered, wondering what on earth he was supposed to have done this time, Harry got up and followed Uncle Vernon out of the kitchen and into the next room. Uncle Vernon closed the door sharply behind both of them. **

**"So," he said, marching over to the fireplace and turning to face Harry as though he was going to pronounce him under arrest. "So." **

"So what?" snapped Sirius, highly annoyed at the man who had the audacity to be so rude to his _godson_, the person he cared about most in the world.

**Harry would have dearly loved to have said "So what?", but he didn't feel that Uncle Vernon's temper should be tested this early in the morning, especially when it was already under severe strain from lack of food.**

All four of them snorted at the lack of food comment.

**He therefore settled for looking politely puzzled. **

"That's my boy, being polite even to fat lards like him," said Lily, cooing.

The three boys looked completely bewildered that she could be praising and insulting at the same time.

**"This just arrived," said Uncle Vernon. He brandished a piece of purple writing paper at Harry. "A letter. About you."**

"Who would write to Vernon about Harry?" Sirius wondered.

"Well, they're his legal guardians," James said, wincing as the words came out of his mouth. 

**Harry's confusion increased. Who would be writing to Uncle Vernon about him? Who did he know who sent letters by the postman? **

"Maybe it's a muggle born friend that couldn't get a hold of an owl," mused Remus outloud.

"Could be," said Lily.

**Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, then looked down at the letter, and began to read aloud; **

_**Dear Mr and Mrs Dursley, **_

_**We have never been introduced, but I am sure you have heard a great deal from Harry about my son Ron. **_

"Ron … Ron, didn't Harry mention that he was one of his best friends earlier on in the book?" Remus said thoughtfully.

"I think so yeah," answered Lily.

_**As Harry might have told you, the final of the Quidditch World Cup **_

James visibly perked up at the mention of his favourite sport.

_**takes place next Monday night, and my husband, Arthur, has managed to get prime tickets through his connections at the Department of Magical Games and Sports.**_

If James had been happy when Quidditch had been mentioned, he was positively gleeful now! Harry, his only son, was going to see the WORLD CUP!

_**I do hope you will allow us to take Harry to the match, **_

"Not allow Harry to see the cup?" said James disbelievingly. Sirius, swear to me that if they don't let Harry see the cup, then you'll hex them."

"Of course," said Sirius, looking scandalized at the thought of Harry having to miss out on such an amazing even because of his ignorant relatives. "Remus, you with me?"

"If I'm still around, then of course," answered an amused Remus.

_**as this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; Britain hasn't hosted the Cup for thirty years and tickets are extremely hard to come by. We would of course be glad to have Harry to stay for the remainder of the summer holidays, and to see him safely onto the train back to school. **_

"Oh, yes, that's perfect, Harry could get away from the Dursleys," Lily said happily.

"And we'd know he'd be safe too," James added.

_**It would be best for Harry to send us your answer as quickly as possible in the normal way, because the Muggle postman has never delivered to our house, and I'm not sure he even knows where it is. **_

"Definitely a wizarding family," Remus said.

"Wonder what their house looks like," Sirius mused idly, "they can be quite interesting sometimes..."

_**Hoping to see Harry soon, **_

_**Yours sincerely, **_

_**Molly Weasley **_

_**P.S. I do hope we've put enough stamps on.**_

"I wonder how many stamps they put on," said Lily laughing.

"Considering it's a pureblood family, probably a lot," James laughed.

**Uncle Vernon finished reading, put his hand back into his breast pocket and drew out something else. **

**"Look at this," he growled. **

**He held up the envelope in which Mrs Weasley's letter had come, and Harry had to fight down a laugh. **

"Oh, yeah, that's a lot," James said, laughing.

**Every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front, into which Mrs Weasley had squeezed the Dursleys' address in minute writing.**

All four of them burst into laughter at the thought.

"Well, we can tell she didn't take muggle studies!" Sirius laughed.

**"She did put enough stamps on, then," said Harry, trying to sound as though Mrs Weasley's was a mistake anyone could make. **

"Which it is, really," said Lily fairly.

James smirked. "For witches and wizards," he added in an undertone.

**His uncle's eyes flashed. **

**"The postman noticed," he said through gritted teeth. **

"Who wouldn't?"

**"Very interested to know where this letter came from, he was. That's why he rang the doorbell. Seemed to think it was funny."**

"It _is _funny!" said James.

**Harry didn't say anything. Other people might not understand why Uncle Vernon was making a fuss about too many stamps, but Harry had lived with the Dursleys too long not to know how touchy they were about anything even slightly out of the ordinary. **

"And so they name their kid Dudley," Sirius remarked, deadpan. "Yeah, that definitely makes sense."

**Their worst fear was that anyone would find out that they were connected (however distantly) with people like Mrs Weasley.**

"Well, from what I can tell, you're pretty damn lucky to know someone like the Weasleys!" said James hotly, hating the thought that someone who seemed as kind as Mrs Weasley was being prosecuted by a fat pig like Vernon.

**Uncle Vernon was still glaring at Harry, who tried to keep his expression neutral. **

"A good skill to have when you're trying to get out of detention," Sirius said wisely.

**If he didn't do or say anything stupid, he might just be in for the treat of a lifetime. He waited for Uncle Vernon to say something, but he merely continued to glare. Harry decided to break the silence.**

**"So - can I go, then?" he asked.**

"Of course you can go!" exclaimed James. "I'll have some things to say if you don't!"

**A slight spasm crossed Uncle Vernon's large, purple face. The moustache bristled. Harry thought he knew what was going on behind the moustache: a furious battle as two of Uncle Vernon's most fundamental instincts came into conflict. **

"I hadn't realized he had brains enough to be conflicted," James said scathingly.

**Allowing Harry to go would make Harry happy, something Uncle Vernon had struggled against for thirteen years. **

Lily narrowed her eyes, but if you looked closely you could see a look of deep sorrow etched in them. James' jaw was rigidly set.

**On the other hand, allowing Harry to disappear to the Weasleys' for the rest of the summer would get rid of him two weeks earlier than anyone could have hoped, and Uncle Vernon hated having Harry in the house.**

This time it was James' turn to lower his eyes but it was more from pain than from anger. His baby was not supposed to feel unwanted.

**To give himself thinking time, it seemed, he looked down at Mrs Weasley's letter again. **

**"Who is this woman?" he said, staring at the signature with distaste. **

**"You've seen her," said Harry. "She's my friend Ron's mother, she was meeting him off the Hog- off the school train at the end of last term." **

"Well, it's nice to know Vernon and Petunia go to pick Harry up at least," Lily said, sounding upbeat and not revealing how cut up the thought of them not going to pick him up cut her up inside.

**He had almost said "Hogwarts Express", and that was a sure way to get his uncle's temper up. Nobody ever mentioned the name of Harry's school aloud in the Dursley household. **

"Bastards," Remus muttered, uncharecteristically.

**Uncle Vernon screwed up his enormous face as though trying to remember something very unpleasant.**

**"Dumpy sort of woman?" he growled finally. "Load of children with red hair?" **

"Dumpy? _Dumpy?_" said Remus incredulously. "And what about you and your son?"

**Harry frowned. He thought it was a bit rich of Uncle Vernon to call anyone "dumpy", when his own son, Dudley, had finally achieved what he'd been threatening to do since the age of three, and become wider than he was tall. **

"Exactly my point!" Remus agreed.

"Is it even possible to be wider than you are tall?" asked James wonderingly.

"In this kids case, apparently it is," answered Sirius, annoyed.

**Uncle Vernon was perusing the letter again. **

**"Quidditch," he muttered under his breath. "Quidditch - what is this rubbish?" **

Remus, Sirius and Lily all groaned. "He just had to say that," grumbled Sirius under his breath, bracing himself for a long lecture from his best friend.

"RUBBISH?! What the heck does he mean rubbish? Quidditch happens to be the best spo – ," before he had a chance to finish, or even really start his long-winded lecture, Lily had silenced him with a 'silence'-ing and then motioned to Remus to continue reading as though nothing had happened.

Remus complied, though not before exchanging a glance with Padfoot who was obviously thinking the same thing as he: _she's scary!_

**Harry felt a stab of annoyance. **

**"It's a sport," he said shortly. "Played on broom-" **

Sirius laughed, "Looks like Harry inherited your trait of defending Quidditch James!"

James just glared at him.

**"All right, all right!" said Uncle Vernon loudly. **

**Harry saw, with some satisfaction, that his uncle looked vaguely panicky. Apparently his nerves wouldn't stand for the sound of a word "broomsticks" in his living room. He took refuge in perusing the letter again. Harry saw his lips form the words "send us your answer in the normal way." He scowled. **

"Owl Post," Remus murmured.

**"What does she mean, the normal way?" he spat. **

"Oi, don't spit on my godson!!" said Sirius loudly and angrily. James made a few furious gestures but couldn't do more as he was still silenced.

**"Normal for us," said Harry, and before his uncle could stop him, he added, "you know, owl post. That's what's normal for wizards."**

"Ooh, nicely done, Harry," Sirius complimented.

**Uncle Vernon looked as outraged as if Harry had just uttered a disgusting swear word. Shaking with anger, he shot a nervy look through the window, as though expecting to see some of the neighbours with their eyes pressed against the glass. **

Remus snorted disbelievingly. "Why would anyone _want _to do that?" he wondered.

"They're probably just paranoid," said Lily bitterly.

**"How many times do I have to tell you not to mention that unnaturalness under my roof?" he hissed, his face now a rich plum colour. "You stand there, in the clothes Petunia and I have put on your ungrateful back -" **

Lily opened her her mouth, and then closed it. Finally, with her eyes glistening, she said, "You know, I'm not even going to bother to come up with a response to that. They're idiots."

**"Only after Dudley finished with them," said Harry coldly, and indeed, he was dressed in a sweatshirt so large for him that he had had to roll back the sleeves five times so as to be able to use his hands, and which fell past the knees of his extremely baggy jeans.**

**"I will not be spoken to like that!" said Uncle Vernon, trembling with rage.**

"Well guess what, you are!" snapped Sirius.

"And you pretty damn well deserve it, too," James added.

**But Harry wasn't going to stand for this. Gone were the days when he had been forced to take every singe one of the Dursleys' stupid rules. **

"Good for you, Harry," Sirius said, remembering vividly thinking exactly the same thing before he left for home.

**He wasn't following Dudley's diet, and he wasn't going to let Uncle Vernon stop him going to the Quidditch World Cup, not if he could help it.**

James mouthed "That's right, son!"

Lily noticed this and quickly undid the spell so that he could yell at the Dursleys with her.

**Harry took a deep, steadying breath and then said, "OK, I can't see the World Cup. Can I go now, then? Only I've got a letter to Sirius I want to finish. You know - my godfather."**

They all laughed at that. "Prongs, I swear your kid is brilliant!" said Sirius, who seemed rather pleased the he was doing something for his godson even though he couldn't be there physically.

**He had done it. He had said the magic words. Now he watched the purple recede blotchily from Uncle Vernon's face, making it look like badly mixed black currant ice-cream.**

They all roared with laughter.

**"You're - you're writing to him, are you?" said Uncle Vernon, in a would-be calm voice - but Harry had seen the pupils of his tiny eyes contract with sudden fear.**

"You'd better be scared, Sirius doesn't take too kindly to people being unkind to his friends and family," said Remus wryly, remembering one time when Sirius had punched a student who had been making fun of him.

**"Well - yeah," said Harry casually. "It's been a while since he heard from me, and, you know, if he doesn't, he might start thinking something's wrong."**

Sirius started to laugh.

**He stopped to enjoy the effect of these words.**

James felt a spark of pride for his son, he was definitely a true marauder in the making.

**He could almost see the cogs working under Uncle Vernon's thick, dark, neatly parted hair. If he tried to stop Harry writing to Sirius, Sirius would think Harry was being mistreated. If he told Harry he couldn't go to the Quidditch World Cup, Harry would write and tell Sirius, who would **_**know**_** that he was being mistreated.**

"And you can be damn sure I'd do something about it!" said Sirius.

**There was only one thing for Uncle Vernon to do. Harry could see the conclusion forming in his mind as though the great mustached face was transparent.**

**Harry tried not to smile, to keep his own face as blank as possible. And then- **

The four reading the book were doing no such thing, just imagining Vernon having no choice except to let Harry go.

**"Well, all right then. You can go to this ruddy...this stupid... this World Cup thing. **

"Oi! It is not stupid!" yelled James.

"Honey, shut up now or I'll silence you again," said Lily sweetly.

**You write and tell these - these Weasleys they're to pick you up, mind. I haven't got time to go dropping you off all over the country.**

"And let me guess, if it was dear 'Duddykins' you'd drive him all the way to Scotland," Lily said angrily, eyes sparkling with tears of rage.

**And you can spend the rest of the summer there. And you can tell your - your godfather ... tell him ... tell him you're going." **

"Nice to know I could help," Sirius said softly, smiling slightly. He had always dreamed of helping Harry as he grew up and knowing that he wouldn't be able to was like a punch in the gut. He was glad that he could help him at least a little bit.

**"OK then," said Harry brightly. **

**He turned and walked towards the living-room door, fighting the urge to jump into the air and whoop. He was going... he was going to the Weasleys', he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup! **

James looked slightly upset that someone else was going to be taking his son to the world cup instead of him. That had been one of the main things he had looked forward to when he first found out he was going to be a father. Teaching his son to fly, arguing over favourite teams, the look on Harry's face when he found out his father got those impossible-to-get tickets.

**Outside in the hall he nearly ran into Dudley, who had been lurking behind the door, clearly hoping to overhear Harry being told off. He looked shocked to see the broad grin on Harry's face.**

"Brat," they all said simultaneously.

**"That was an **_**excellent**_** breakfast, wasn't it?" said Harry. "I feel really full, don't you?"**

They all laughed.

**Laughing at the astonished look on Dudley's face, **

"Doubt it's that different from his normal look," James said savagely.

**Harry took the stairs three at a time, and hurried himself back into his bedroom. **

**The first thing he saw was that Hedwig was back. **

"The owl has good timing," Remus noted.

**She was sitting in her cage, staring at Harry with her enormous amber eyes, and clicking her beak in the way that meant she was annoyed about something. **

**Exactly what was annoying her became apparent almost at once. **

**"OUCH!" said Harry. **

"Wonder what it is," said Remus curiously.

"Well whatever it was it better be careful not to hurt my son again," said Lily crossly.

**What appeared to be a small, grey, feathery tennis ball had just collided with the side of Harry's head. Harry massaged his head furiously, looking up to see what had hit him, and saw a minute owl, small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, whizzing excitedly around the room like a loose firework. **

They all laughed and then Remus remarked, "I wonder who that belongs to?"

**Harry then realized that the owl had dropped a letter at his feet. Harry bent down, recognized Ron's handwriting, then tore open the envelope.**

"Must belong to Harry's friend Ron," said Lily in an amused tone. "I think Remus is right about Ron being like Sirius."

Sirius didn't answer just threw a pillow at Lily which she dodged expertly.

**Inside was a hastily scribbled note. **

_**Harry - DAD GOT THE TICKETS - Ireland versus Bulgaria, Monday night. Mum's writing to the Muggles to ask you to stay. They might already have the letter, I don't know how fast Muggle post is. Thought I'd send this with Pig anyway. **_

"Pig?" said Sirius incredulously. "Surely that can't be the name of the owl!"

**Harry stared at the word "Pig", then looked up at the tiny owl now zooming around the lampshade on the ceiling. He had never seen anything that looked less like a pig. Maybe he couldn't read Ron's writing. **

"Well, it's a sad state of affairs when your best friend can't read your writing," James said, snorting.

**He went back to the letter: **

_**We're coming for you whether the Muggles like it or not, you can't miss the World Cup, **_

"I like these people," James said approvingly.

_**only Mum and Dad reckon its better if we pretend to ask their permission first. If they say yes, send Pig back with your answer pronto, and we'll come and get you at five o'clock on Sunday. If they say no, send Pig back pronto and we'll come and get you at five o'clock on Sunday anyway. **_

"I like Harry's friend!" said Sirius brightly.

_**Hermione's arriving this afternoon. **_

"Hermione was Harry's other best friend wasn't she?" asked Sirius.

"Uh, yeah I think so," answered James.

_**Percy's started work - the Department of International Magical Co-operation. Don't mention anything about Abroad while you're here unless you want the pants bored off you. **_

_**See you soon - Ron **_

**"Calm down!" said Harry, as the small owl flew low over his head, twittering madly with what Harry could only assume was pride at having delivered the letter to the right person. **

"That is one strange owl," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"No kidding," Lily agreed. "I wonder where Ron got it from."

**"Come here, I need you to take my answer back!" **

**The owl fluttered down on top of Hedwig's cage. Hedwig looked coldly up at it, as though daring it to try and come any closer.**

Lily laughed at the proud owl her son had.

**Harry seized his eagle-feather quill once more, grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, and wrote: **

_**Ron, it's all OK, the Muggles say I can come. See you five o'clock tomorrow. Can't wait,**_

_**Harry**_

**He folded this note up very small and, with immense difficulty, tied it to the tiny owl's leg as it hopped on the spot with excitement. The moment the note was secure, the owl was off again, it zoomed out of the window and out of sight. **

They all laughed and James said jokingly, "He even acts like Sirius!" referring to, of course, how impatient the bird was.

**Harry turned to Hedwig. **

**"Feeling up to a long journey?" he asked her. **

**Hedwig hooted in a dignified sort of way.**

"It's trying to prove that its better than Ron's owl!" said Lily laughing.

**"Can you take this to Sirius for me?" he said, picking up his letter. "Hang on ... I just want to finish it." **

**He unfolded the parchment again and hastily added a postscript. **

Sirius beamed, though he didn't particularly know why. There was just something about the fact that his godson was writing him a letter...

_**If you want to contact me, I'll be at my friends Ron Weasley's for the rest of the summer. His dad's got us tickets for the Quidditch World Cup!**_

**The letter finished, he tied it to Hedwig's leg; she kept unusually still, as though determined to show him how a real post owl should behave.**

"See, told you!" said Lily, and this time they were all laughing.

**"I'll be at Ron's when you get back, all right?" Harry told her. **

**She nipped his finger affectionately, then, with a soft swooshing noise, spread her enormous wings and soared out of the open window. **

**Harry watched her out of sight, then crawled under his bed, wrenched up the loose floorboard, and pulled out a large chunk of birthday cake. He sat there on the floor eating it, savouring the happiness that was flooding through him. **

"This is much better than the beginning of the book" said Lily happily.

**He had cake, and Dudley had nothing but grapefruit; it was a bright summer's day, he would be leaving Privet Drive tomorrow, his scar felt perfectly normal again, and he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup.**

"Who wouldn't be happy about that?" said James happily. The others didn't bother to respond.

**It was hard, just now, to feel worried about anything - even Lord Voldemort.**

"Now this is a much better ending to the chapter," said James approvingly.

Lily agreed and then offered to read the next chapter. Remus gladly handed it over, maybe now he wouldn't get glared at!

--**Authors Notes--**

_And for the record, I have been looking into posting this somewhere else as well. I will keep you posted about that..._

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and thanks for your patience! I swear that this fic will never be abandoned no matter what. _

_Please, let me know what you thought! :) _


	4. Back to the Burrow

**NOTE: CHAPTER THREE HAS BEEN REWRITTEN (long story)... Go check it out!**

Thanks to all that are reading and especially reviewing this fic

_G'day from (finally) sunny Australia. We've finally got decent weather and it has put me in such a good mood along with the fact that I am very close to being back to pre-op condition… _

_Anyway, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, and I'm glad that everyone likes the changes I've been adding… Hope y'all enjoy this one! I admit this one doesn't have too many changes, but I couldn't find many places to put them and I thought you had waited long enough._

_Disclaimer: All words in bold belong to JK Rowling. _

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**BACK TO THE BURROW**

**By twelve o'clock the next day, Harry's trunk was packed with his school things, and all his most prized possessions - the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father, **

James felt his jaw drop and he grinned at the fact that his son had still managed to get his old invisibility cloak.

"That's brilliant," said Sirius excitedly, "I can't believe he got that! I wonder how?"

"Who cares!" James said happily. "He managed to get it, and that's what matters!"

"And probably causes just as much trouble," teased Remus lightly, remembering just how much trouble they themselves had managed to get into.

**the broomstick he had got from Sirius, **

"Hey, cool!" said Sirius excitedly. "I wonder what kind it is?"

"Probably the most expensive, knowing you," said Lily, laughing.

"But he makes a very fair point," James objected, "can you imagine the changes made to brooms over the years?"

"Well, if Harry is as obsessed with Quidditch as you are – which, from the looks of things, he is, I'm sure we'll find out," Remus said.

**And the enchanted map of Hogwarts he had been given by Fred and George Weasley last year. **

"An enchanted map?" said James curiously, sitting up. "You don't think…"

"It can't be!" said Remus. "I mean, it was destroyed… right?" he added, unsure of himself.

"I don't know if I even want to know," Lily said wryly.

**He had emptied his hiding place under the loose floorboard of all food, double-checked every nook and cranny of his bedroom for forgotten spellbooks or quills, and taken down the chart on the wall counting the days down to September the first, on which he liked to cross off the days remaining until his return to Hogwarts. **

Lily felt some sort of hollowness inside her as she imagined the fact that her Harry hated the summer holidays so much that he counted down the days.

**The atmosphere inside number four, Privet Drive was extremely tense. The imminent arrival at their house of an assortment of wizards was making the Dursleys uptight and irritable. **

"Ha, serves you right for trying to starve my baby!" scoffed Lily darkly, narrowing her eyes at the book.

_Note to self: never get her angry _was the thought simultaneously going through the three men's head.

**Uncle Vernon had looked downright alarmed when Harry informed him that the Weasleys would be arriving at five o'clock the very next day. **

"You'd think he'd be happy to get it over and done with," said Sirius darkly.

**"I hope you told them to dress properly, these people," he snarled at once. "I've seen the sort of stuff your lot wear. They'd better have the decency to put on normal clothes, that's all." **

"Of course they're gonna wear normal clothes," exclaimed Sirius, sounding insulted.

"He means _muggle clothes_," said Lily, ever the expert, rolling her eyes. "You _really _should have taken Muggle Studies."

"Well, why didn't he just say that!" huffed Sirius, folding his arms defensively.

**Harry felt a slight sense of foreboding. He had rarely seen Mr or Mrs Weasley wearing anything that the Dursleys would call "normal". **

"They'll get over it," Lily said dismissively.

**Their children might don Muggle clothing during the holidays, but Mr and Mrs Weasley wore long robes in varying states of shabbiness. Harry wasn't bothered about what the neighbours would think, but he was anxious about how rude the Dursleys might be to the Weasleys if they turned up looking like their worst idea of wizards. **

"They'd better be damn polite," growled James.

**Uncle Vernon had put on his best suit. To some people, this might have looked like a gesture of welcome, but Harry knew it was because Uncle Vernon wanted to look impressive and intimidating. **

"Yeah right, nothing could make that guy look intimidating," said Lily dryly. "Especially not to a fully trained wizard!"

**Dudley, on the other hand, looked somehow diminished. This was not because the diet was at last taking effect, **

"Of course not, nothing could make this moron lose weight!" said James scathingly.

**but due to fright. **

**Dudley had emerged from his last encounter with a fully grown wizard with a curly pig's tail poking out of the seat of his trousers, **

The four nearly adults sat in stunned silence for a full minute with their jaws dropping open before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, I would have actually paid to see that!" said Lily through her laughter.

**and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had had to pay for its removal at a private hospital in London. It wasn't altogether surprising, therefore, that Dudley kept running his hand nervously over his backside, and walking sideways from room to room, so as not to present the same target to the enemy. **

"Oh, I wish that would happen again," James said longingly.

**Lunch was an almost silent meal. Dudley didn't even protest at the food (cottage cheese and grated celery). **

Sirius smirked. "It's a miracle!"

**Aunt Petunia wasn't eating anything at all. Her arms were folded, her lips were pursed and she seemed to be chewing her tongue, as though biting back the furious diatribe she longed to throw at Harry. **

Remus growled slightly and said menacingly, "If you dare…" letting the sentence trail off though still leaving no doubt as to the ending.

Lily just narrowed her eyes while Sirius and James stroked their wands as though they wanted nothing more than to use them on Petunia.

**"They'll be driving, of course?" Uncle Vernon barked across the table. **

"What do you care?" asked James, huffily.

**"Er," said Harry. **

**He hadn't thought of that. How were the Weasleys going to pick him up? They didn't have a car anymore; the old Ford Anglia they had once owned was currently running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. **

Remus raised an eyebrow and said bemusedly, "I wonder how _that_ happened?"

**But Mr Weasley had borrowed a Ministry of Magic car last year; possibly he would do the same today? **

**"I think so," said Harry. **

Sirius laughed. "It'd be funny if they just apparated right on top of him," he quipped.

"I could just see Petunia's face," sad Lily longingly.

**Uncle Vernon snorted into his moustache. **

**Normally, Uncle Vernon would have asked what car My Weasley drove; he tended to judge other men on how big and expensive their cars were, but Harry doubted whether Uncle Vernon would have taken to Mr Weasley even if he drove a Ferrari. **

All three of the boys turned to Lily expectantly.

Laughing, she explained to them. "A really big, really expensive car kinda like all your broomstick models."

**Harry spent most of the afternoon in his bedroom; he couldn't stand watching Aunt Petunia peer out through the net curtains every few seconds, as though there had been a warning about escaped rhinoceros. **

"Good idea Harry, stay out of their way until the last minute," murmured James. Sirius and Remus nodded in agreement.

**Finally at a quarter to five, Harry went back into the living room. **

**Aunt Petunia was compulsively straightening cushions. Uncle Vernon was pretending to read the paper but his tiny eyes were not moving, and Harry was sure he was really listening with all his might for the sound of an approaching car. Dudley was crammed into an armchair, his porky hands beneath him, clamped firmly around his bottom. **

"Like that'd help," said James smirking.

**Harry couldn't take the tension; he left the room, and went and sat on the stairs in the hall, his eyes on his watch and his heart pumping fast from excitement and nerves. **

"Oh honey, you don't have to be nervous!" cooed Lily, ever the mollycoddling mother.

**But five o'clock came and went. Uncle Vernon, perspiring slightly in his suit, opened the front door, peered up and down the street, then withdrew his head quickly. **

"Wouldn't it be hilarious if they were doing that on purpose just to scare them?" said Sirius.

"Well I think it's cruel!" scoffed Lily. "Poor Harry having to worry."

**"They're late!" he snarled at Harry. **

"Hey!" exclaimed Lily indignantly. "It's not Harry's fault!"

The three men drew back slightly, slightly shocked at Lily.

**"I know," said Harry. "Maybe - er - the traffic's bad or something." **

**Ten past five ... then a quarter past five ... Harry was starting to feel anxious himself now. **

"Oh don't be honey, they're just running a bit late," cooed Lily.

James, Sirius and Remus looked at each other, amused, and then looked away quickly before they started laughing silently.

**At half past, he heard Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia conversing in terse mutters in the living room. **

"**No consideration at all." **

**"We might have had an engagement." **

"Who would want to go anywhere with them," snapped Lily dryly, still quite annoyed with her sister for neglecting her only son.

James was looking a little alarmed at the abrupt switch of Lily's moods.

"**Maybe they think they'll get invited to dinner if they're late." **

"Somehow I doubt that they'd want to stay," said Remus.

"Yeah, I mean, who would?" agreed Sirius.

**"Well, they most certainly won't be," said Uncle Vernon, and Harry heard him stand up and start pacing the living room. "They'll take the boy and go, there'll be no hanging around. **

"He has a name you know!" snapped James.

**That's if they're coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I daresay **_**their**_** kind don't set much on punctuality. Either that or they drive some tin-pot car that's broken d-AAAAAAAARRRRRGH!" **

"Do you think that they apparated on them?" asked Sirius hopefully. He didn't even bother to hide a smile at the thought, even when Lily hit him on the back of the head – hard.

**Harry jumped up. From the other side of the living-room door came the sounds of the three Dursleys scrambling, panic-stricken, across the room. Next moment Dudley came flying into the hall, looking terrified. **

"Aww, they didn't apparate," said Sirius, sounding slightly disappointed.

**"What happened?" said Harry. "What's the matter?" **

**But Dudley didn't seem able to speak. Hands still clamped over his buttocks, he waddled as fast as he could into the kitchen. **

All of their lips twitched in amusement at the thought.

**Harry hurried into the living room. **

**Loud bangings and scrapings were coming from behind the Dursleys' boarded-up fireplace, which had a fake coal fire plugged in front of it. **

"Oh!" cried Lily. "They must have tried to floo and gotten stuck!"

**"What is it?" gasped Aunt Petunia, who had backed into the wall and was staring, terrified, towards the fire. "What is it, Vernon?" **

"What a drama queen, she knows about floo!" scoffed Lily.

**But they were left in doubt barely a second longer. Voices could be heard from inside the blocked fireplace. "Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake - tell George not to - OUCH! George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron -" **

"Well this certainly sounds interesting," James said gleefully.

"Sounds chaotic, more like," quipped Lily.

James rolled his eyes. "That's what I meant!"

**"Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad - maybe he'll be able to let us out -" **

**There was a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric fire. **

**"Harry? Harry, can you hear us?" **

**The Dursleys rounded on Harry like a pair of angry wolverines. **

"I resent that remark!" exclaimed Remus indignantly.

**"What is this?" growled Uncle Vernon. "What's going on?" **

**"They - they've tried to get here by Floo powder," said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh. **

Sirius and James were doing no such thing, and even Remus couldn't fight a smile at the thought. Lily, however continued to look disapproving though there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye that gave away her "disapproving" act.

**"They can travel by fire - only you've blocked the fireplace - hang on -" **

**He approached the fireplace and called through the boards. **

**"Mr Weasley? Can you hear me?" **

"Well if he can hear them than I think it would be quite obvious that they will be able to hear him," Remus reasoned logically.

**The hammering stopped. Somebody inside the chimney-piece said, "Shh!" **

Lily tutted, "You'd think that they'd recognize their own friends' voice!"

**"Mr Weasley, it's Harry ... the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there." **

**"Damn!" said Mr Weasley's voice. "What on earth did they want to block the fireplace for?" **

**"They've got an electric fire," Harry explained. **

**"Really?" said Mr Weasley's voice excitedly. "Ecklectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that ... let's think ... ouch, Ron!" **

"Well he's a bit eager isn't he?" Remus said amusedly.

"Sounds like he's quite obsessed with muggle technology," said Lily, laughing.

**Ron's voice now joined the others. "What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?" **

Remus raised an eyebrow, while Sirius said sarcastically, "I wonder…"

Remus mentioned under his breath, "Definitely like Sirius…" and then dodged the pillow thrown by the irritated dog animagus.

**Oh, no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up." **

**"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall. **

"I think I like those two," James said with a smirk.

**"Boys, boys ..." said Mr Weasley vaguely. "I'm trying to think what to do ... yes ... only way ... stand back, Harry." **

"Yes dear, you don't want to get hurt," said Lily.

**Harry retreated to the sofa. Uncle Vernon, however, moved forwards. **

**"Wait a moment!" he bellowed at the fire. "What exactly are you going to -?" **

"Idiot Dursley, you should listen to those that are smarter than you!" said Sirius scathingly.

"Do you care?" said Remus, looking at him in surprise.

Sirius tutted. "Of course not!"

**BANG. **

**The electric fire shot across the room as the boarded-up fireplace burst outwards, expelling Mr Weasley, Fred, George and Ron in a clod of rubble and loose chippings.**

All four of them burst out laughing at the thought, not to mention the fury Petunia and Vernon must have been feeling at their 'precious _normal _living room' being destroyed.

**Aunt Petunia shrieked and bell backwards over the coffee table; Uncle Vernon caught her before she hit the floor and gaped, speechless, as the Weasleys, all of whom had bright red hair, including Fred and George, who were identical to the last freckle.**

"They're twins!" said James delightedly.

Sirius also seemed excited at the thought, "Just think how much trouble they could cause like that!

**That's better," panted Mr Weasley, brushing dust from his long green roes and straightening his glasses. "Ah - you must be Harry's aunt and uncle!" **

"Yes, they are, and they aren't to happy about what you've done to their living room," said Remus with mock disapproval in his voice.

**Tall, thin and balding, he moved towards Uncle Vernon, his hand outstretched, but Uncle Vernon backed away several paces, dragging Aunt Petunia. Words utterly failed Uncle Vernon. **

"Well don't be rude," Lily snapped at the book, and none of the other three dared tell her that Vernon couldn't hear her.

**His best suit was covered in white dust, which had settled in his hair and moustache and made him look as though he had just aged thirty years. **

"He looks so ugly that it probably wouldn't matter anyway," Lily muttered under her breath.

**"Er - yes - sorry about that," said Mr Weasley, lowering his hand and looking over his shoulder at the blasted fireplace. "It's all my fault, **

"No it's not," exclaimed Lily.

**it just didn't occur to me that we wouldn't be able to get out at the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see - just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry. Muggle fireplaces aren't supposed to be connected, strictly speaking - but I've got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don't worry. I'll light a fire to send the boys back, and then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate." **

Remus smirked and said, "How much you wanna bet that they didn't understand a word of that?"

**Harry was ready to bet that Uncle Vernon hadn't understood a single word of this. They were still gaping at Mr Weasley, thunderstruck. Aunt Petunia staggered upright again, and hid behind Uncle Vernon. **

They all rolled their eyes.

**"Hello, Harry!" said Mr Weasley brightly. "Got your trunk ready?" **

**"It's upstairs," said Harry grinning back. **

**"We'll get it," said Fred at once. Winking at Harry, he and George left the room. **

**They knew where Harry's bedroom was, having once rescued him from it in the dead of night. **

Remus narrowed his eyes, "What do they mean they _rescued _him in the dead of night?" he asked suspiciously.

Lily's eyes also narrowed though hers in anger. "If its anything like what I think it is then I swear I will kill my sister."

"We'll be right behind you," the three marauders answered in unison, also quite irate.

**Harry suspected that Fred and George were hoping for a glimpse of Dudley; they had heard a lot about him from Harry. **

"This is gonna be good," said both Sirius and James gleefully. Even though they knew little about the twins, they already seemed to peg them as pranksters. After all, it took one to know one.

**"Well," said Mr Weasley, swinging his arms slightly, while he tried to find words to break the very nasty silence. "Very - erm - very nice place you've got here." **

Lily snorted and said, "They're probably gonna take it as an insult considering the fact that the living room is destroyed!"

**As the usually spotless living room was now covered in dust and bits of brick, this remark didn't go down too well with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon's face purpled once more, and Aunt Petunia started chewing her tongue again. However, they seemed too scared to actually say anything. **

"Serves you right," James muttered darkly.

**Mr Weasley was looking around. He loved everything to do with Muggles. Harry could see him itching to go and examine the television and video recorder. **

"Looks like I was right about him being quite obsessed with muggle technology!" Lily chuckled fondly.

**"They run off eckeltricity, do they?" he said knowledgeably. "Ah, yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs," he added to Uncle Vernon. "And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. **

Sirius eyes widened and he snorted while muttering, "Collects batteries? Why would you do that? Come to think of it, what are they?"

**My wife thinks I'm mad, but there you are." **

Amused, Remus commented, "I bet she's not the only one!"

**Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr Weasley was mad, too. He moved ever so slightly to the right, screening Aunt Petunia from view, as though he thought Mr Weasley might suddenly run at them and attack. **

"And they consider themselves normal?" asked Sirius drolly while rolling his eyes.

**Dudley suddenly reappeared in the room. Harry could hear the clunk of his trunk of the stairs, and knew that the sounds had scared Dudley out of the kitchen. Dudley edged along the wall, gazing at Mr Weasley with terrified eyes, and attempted to conceal himself behind his mother and father. **

"He's so fat I doubt it would work!" said Sirius glaring at the book as though glaring at the people that dared make his godsons life torment.

**Uncle Vernon's bulk, while sufficient to hide Aunt Petunia, was nowhere near enough to conceal Dudley. **

"See!" said Sirius with triumph.

**"Ah, this is your cousin, is it, Harry?" said Mr Weasley, taking another brave stab at conversation. **

"He really is a brave one isn't he?" said Remus dryly.

**"Yep," said Harry, "that's Dudley." He and Ron exchanged glanced then quickly looked away from each other; the temptation to burst out laughing was almost overwhelming. **

"Well at least Harry is a lot more polite than his father," Lily said, pleased.

James scowled but couldn't really say anything, as he and Sirius had cracked up long ago.

**Dudley was still clutching his bottom as though afraid it might fall off. Mr Weasley, however, seemed genuinely concerned at Dudley's peculiar behaviour. Indeed, from the tone of his voice when he next spoke, Harry was quite sure that Mr Weasley thought Dudley was quite as mad as the Dursleys thought he was, except that Mr Weasley felt sympathy rather then fear.**

"Well, see Mr Weasley is a very kind man, unlike my idiot sister and her whale of a husband," huffed Lily.

**"Having a good holiday, Dudley?" he said kindly. Dudley whimpered. Harry saw his hands tighten still harder over his massive backside. **

James and Sirius were laughing again.

**Fred and George came back into the room, carrying Harry's school trunk. They glanced around as they entered and spotted Dudley. Their faces cracked into identical, evil grins. **

"Oh, yeah this is definitely gonna be good!" said James gleefully and exchanged an evil look with Padfoot.

**"Ah, right," said Mr Weasley. "Better get cracking, then." **

**He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and took out his wand. Harry saw the Dursleys draw back against the wall as one. **

"Morons," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

**"**_**Incendio!" **_**said Mr Weasley, pointing his wand at the hole in the wall behind him. **

**Flame rose at once in the fireplace, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours. Mr Weasley took a small drawstring bag from his pocket, untied it, took a pinch of the powder inside and threw it onto the flames, which turned emerald green and roared higher then ever. **

**"Off you go then, Fred," said Mr Weasley. **

**"Coming," said Fred. "Oh no - hang on -" **

Sirius' and James' eyes widened as they moved to the edge of their seats in suspense. Remus and Lily just shook their heads.

**A bag of sweets had spilled out of Fred's pocket and the contents were now rolling in every direction - big, fat toffees in brightly coloured wrappers. **

"Aww, I was expecting it to be something that would be able to get back at the Dursleys!" said James in a disappointed voice.

"Don't give up hope yet," said Sirius.

**Fred scrambled around, cramming them back into his pocket, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave, stepped forward and walked right into the fire, saying, "The Burrow!" Aunt Petunia gave a little shuddering gasp. **

"Oh she's just being dramatic!" exclaimed Lily. "She's seen me floo plenty of times!"

**There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished. **

**"Right then, George," said Mr Weasley, "you and the trunk." **

**Harry helped George carry the trunk forward into the flames, and turn it onto its end so that he could hold it better. **

"That's right Harry, be helpful unlike your father over there," said Remus who had had plenty of 'help' from James over the years.

"Oi! I do too help!" exclaimed James indignantly.

"Yes," agreed Remus amicably, "help me get _hurt_!", remembering one time in fifth year when James had helped him by pushing him into the fireplace so that he ended up in the wrong place with some muggle pointing a gun at him.

**Then, with a second whoosh, George had cried, "The Burrow!" and vanished too. **

**"Ron, you next," said Mr Weasley. **

**"See you," said Ron brightly to the Dursleys. **

"He might not be bad either," said Sirius.

"Well of course he's not bad, he's Harry's best friend!" James said.

**He grinned broadly at Harry, then stepped into the fire, shouted, "The Burrow!" and disappeared. **

**Now Harry and Mr Weasley alone remained. **

**"Well...bye then," Harry said to the Dursleys. **

**They didn't say anything at all. **

Lily was beside herself, "Oh for goodness sake, can't you at least say goodbye to him! For Merlin's sake Petunia, he's my only son!"

James felt a tear rolling down his cheek.

**Harry moved towards the fire, but just as he reached the edge of the hearth, Mr Weasley put out a hand and held him back. He was looking at the Dursleys in amazement. **

**"Harry said goodbye to you," he said. "Didn't you hear him?" **

"Well at least somebody's going to put them in their place" Lily muttered darkly.

**"It doesn't matter," Harry muttered to Mr Weasley. "Honestly, I don't care." **

"But we do!" all four of them exclaimed as one.

**Mr Weasley did not remove his hand from Harry's shoulder. **

**"You aren't going to see your nephew 'til next summer," he said to Uncle Vernon in mild indignation. "Surely you are going to say goodbye?" **

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" exclaimed Lily.

"We know Lily," said the other three simultaneously.

**Uncle Vernon's face worked furiously. The idea of being taught consideration by a man who had just blasted away half his living-room wall seemed to be causing him intense suffering.**

"Who cares what he did, at least he apologized, it's you two that have to be taught consideration," said Remus dryly.

James and Sirius were too disappointed that the twins hadn't actually done anything to the Dursleys to comment.

**But Mr Weasley's wand was still in his hand, and Uncle Vernon's tiny eyes darted to it at once, before he said, very resentfully, "Goodbye, then."**

"That's better," said Lily happily.

**"See you," said Harry, putting one foot forward into the green flames, which felt pleasantly like warm breath. At that moment, however, a horrible gagging sound erupted behind him, and Aunt Petunia started to scream. **

Sirius and James brightened considerably and moved to the edge of their seats again thinking that perhaps either the twins had managed to do something or Mr Weasley had hexed the Dursleys.

**Harry wheeled around. Dudley was no longer standing behind his parents. He was kneeling beside the coffee table, and he was gagging and spluttering on a foot-long, purple, slimy thing that was protruding from his mouth. **

They sat in stunned silence for a moment before bursting out into laughter.

"Arthur wouldn't have done that would he?" asked Lily between laughs.

"Maybe those twins really did do something!" Remus suggested while still laughing.

**One bewildered second later, Harry realized that that foot-long thin was Dudley's tongue - and that a brightly coloured toffee-wrapper lay on the floor before him. **

They all started laughing again and Sirius said triumphantly, "I knew those twins were pranksters!"

"Sounds like their even better than us, or pranking material has just gotten better!" added James, hooting with laughter.

**Aunt Petunia hurled herself onto the ground beside Dudley, seized the end of his swollen tongue and attempted to wrench it out of his mouth; **

"Idiot," they all muttered.

**unsurprisingly, Dudley yelled and spluttered worse than ever, trying to fight her off. **

"You'd think she'd know that would make it worse!" said James while still laughing.

**Uncle Vernon was bellowing and waving his arms around, and Mr Weasley had to shout to make himself heard. **

**"Not to worry, I can sort him out!" he yelled, advancing on Dudley with his wand outstretched, but Aunt Petunia screamed worse than ever and threw herself on top of Dudley, shielding him from Mr Weasley. **

"Oh for the love of Merlin, he just said he was going to help!" said Lily rolling her eyes.

**"No, really!" said Mr Weasley desperately. "It's a simple process - it was the toffee - my son Fred - real practical joker – **

"Yep, definitely prankster twins" said James proudly. "Isn't it nice to know that the next generation haven't forgotten the wonderfully art of pranking, Mr Padfoot?"

"Indeed, Mr Prongs, indeed," sighed Sirius dramatically.

**but it's only an Engorgement Charm - at least, I think it is - please, I can correct it -" **

"Shouldn't have added the 'I think'" mentioned Remus bemusedly.

**But far from being reassured, the Dursleys became more panic-stricken; Aunt Petunia was sobbing hysterically, tugging Dudley's tongue as though determined to rip it out; **

"If she thinks Arthur is going to make it worse, what does she think that she's doing?" asked Remus incredulously.

**Dudley appeared to be suffocating under the combined pressure of his mother and his tongue, **

"Exactly what I mean!" Remus said indignantly.

**and Uncle Vernon, who had lost control completely, seized a china figure from on top of the side-board, and threw it very hard at Mr Weasley, **

"Oh for goodness sake he's just trying to help!" Lily exclaimed angrily.

"And you think that the Weasleys don't have any manners?" asked Remus angrily and incredulously.

"Yeah I didn't see – or rather read – them throwing stuff at you!" piped up James, outraged.

**who ducked, causing the ornament to shatter in the blasted fireplace. **

**"Now really!" said Mr Weasley, angrily, brandishing his wand. "I'm trying to help!" **

"Exactly!" all four of them said.

**Bellowing like a wounded hippo, Uncle Vernon snatched up another ornament. **

"**Harry, go! Just go!" Mr Weasley shouted, his wand on Uncle Vernon. "I'll sort this out!"**

"Oh no, Harry's there," said Lily, her attitude doing a complete turnaround. "Listen to Mr Weasley sweetheart, and get out of there before you get hurt!"

**Harry didn't want to miss the fun, but Uncle Vernon's second ornament narrowly missed his left ear, **

"Oi, don't go hitting my son!" bellowed James. "Your mother's right, son, go before you get hurt."

**and on balance he thought it best to leave the situation to Mr Weasley. **

"That's right Harry, let your mother's genetics take over this one instead of your fathers," quipped Remus. His only answer was a pillow thrown by James.

**He stepped into the fire, looking over his shoulder as he said, "The Burrow!"; his last fleeting glimpse of the living room was of Mr Weasley blasting a third ornament out of Uncle Vernon's hand with his wand, Aunt Petunia screaming and lying on top of Dudley, and Dudley's tongue rolling around like a great slimy python. **

Now that Harry was safely gone, the four adults found it safe to start laughing again.

**But next moment Harry had begun to spin very fast, and the Dursleys' living room was whipped out of sight in a rush of emerald green flames. **

"And that is the end of the chapter!" Lily announced.

"And what an interesting chapter it was," said James. "Oh Merlin, I think I love those twins."

After they had gotten the laughter out of their systems, Sirius offered to read next and picked up the book.

**--Author Notes--**

_Now that I look back at this chapter, it seems very Lily-centric don't you think?_

_Keikolilo: Yes, Lily does seem like the star of the fic, always moaning on behalf of dear little Harry…_

_Thanks to all that reviewed, please continue to do so!_


	5. Weasley Wizard Wheezes

I'm thinking that this is one of the longest chapters in this fic being nearly nine thousand words and thirty pages!

I seriously began thinking about renaming this chapter 'the chapter that never ends!'

_Oh, for the days when that was true! It seems so short compared to some of the later chapters! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one, and hopefully I'll update the next one quicker! Please review on your way out!_

-----------------------------------

**CHAPTER 5**

**WEASLEY'S WIZARD WHEEZES**

Remus raised one eyebrow. "That's an interesting chapter name. I wonder what it's about?"

"Maybe it's something to do with those twins?" Sirius suggested.

**Harry spun faster and faster, elbows tucked tightly to his sides, blurred fireplaces flashing past him, until he started to feel sick and closed his eyes. **

"Yes dear, close your eyes; we don't want you getting sick now do we?" Lily cooed.

Sirius rolled his eyes, but James himself looked a little anxious.

**Then, when at last he felt himself slowing down, he threw out his hands, and brought himself to a halt in time to prevent himself falling face forwards out of the Weasleys' kitchen fire. **

**"Did he eat it?" said Fred excitedly, holding out a hand to pull Harry to his feet.**

"I knew I liked those twins!" said James brightly.

"Yep, definitely pranksters!" Sirius exclaimed happily.**  
**  
**"Yeah," said Harry, straightening up. "What **_**was**_** it?"**

"You know that's a fair question, I wonder what it was," said Lily curiously. "I mean, those sweets were definitely not around in our time."

**"Ton-Tongue Toffee," said Fred brightly. "George and I invented them,**

All of them felt their jaws drop. "They _invented _them?" said Sirius incredulously.

"Wow," whistled Remus. "Those two are definitely impressive."

"Tell me about it," said James with wide eyes. "I wonder what other stuff they've invented?"

"I'm betting we'll find out," said Lily in a half-disapproving, half-amused tone.

James had a manic gleam in his eye. "Wish those twins were around now, they're bloody brilliant!"

**we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer..." **

They all burst out laughing and even Lily couldn't resist the temptation.**  
**  
**The tiny kitchen exploded with laugher; Harry looked around and saw that Ron and George were sitting at the scrubbed wooden table with two red-haired people Harry had never seen before, though he knew immediately who they must be: Bill and Charlie, the two eldest Weasley brothers.**

"Jeez, how many kids are there in this family?" asked Sirius.

"Well, there's Ron, the twins, and these two which makes five so far," counted Lily, matter-of-factly. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see if there are any more."**  
**  
**"How're you doing, Harry?" said the nearer of the two, grinning at him and holding out a large hand, which Harry shook, feeling calluses and blisters under his fingers. This had to be Charlie, who worked with dragons in Romania. **

"Cool!" said Sirius and James enviously in unison. Remus and Lily just shook their heads.

**Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy**

"Percy must be another one, that makes six," said Remus.

"Six boys?" Lily exclaimed. "I pity their poor mother! Especially with a dragon tamer as one of her sons and prankster twins as another two!"

**and Ron, who were both long and lanky. He had a broad, good-natured face, which was weather-beaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned; his arms were muscly, **

"Well, they'd have to be if he works with dragons," said Remus.

**and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it.**

Remus quipped, "Also a given with his occupation."

**Bill got to his feet, smiling and also shook Harry's hand.**

**Bill came as something of a surprise. **

"Why would he be a surprise?" asked James curiously.

"Well, let Sirius continue reading and we'll find out won't we?" Lily answered in a slightly annoyed tone.

**Harry knew that he worked for the wizarding bank, Gringotts, that he had been Head Boy of Hogwarts, **

"Probably really fussy about breaking rules then," said Sirius, sounding like he was suffering just thinking about it.

"Oi, I was head boy!" James exclaimed indignantly.

"Yeah, but you were a marauder first," Sirius answered as though this made perfect sense and therefore settled the matter.

**and had always imagined Bill to be an older version of Percy; fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around. **

"I don't think I like Percy much," said James. He and Sirius had always hated anyone bossing them around, and anyone who tried usually ended up with maggots in their soup. Only that idiotic Hufflepuff, Gilderoy Lockhart, had ever tried to do so again but he had quickly learned his lesson.

"Well if, Harry is surprised by Bill then I suppose that must mean he's not really like Percy," said Lily sensibly.

"Maybe," Sirius said doubtfully, as thought he couldn't believe any Head Boy that wasn't a marauder could be anything but fussy.

**However, Bill was - there was no other word for it - **_**cool**_**.**

"See, told you!" said Lily smugly.

Sirius scowled in response while James said, "I wonder if there's some kind of rule that says that woman always have to be right?"

**He was tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it. His clothes would not have looked out of place at a rock concert, except that Harry recognised his boots to be made, not of leather, but of dragon hide.**

James and Sirius' mouths had dropped open and Remus and Lily were getting a good laugh at the looks on their faces.

After James had recovered he said, "Well, Harry's definitely right, Bill is, indeed, _very_ cool."

"Tell me about it," said Sirius before continuing to read.  
**  
Before any of them could say anything else, there was a faint popping noise, and Mr Weasley appeared out of thin air at George's shoulder. **

"I bet he won't be too happy," said James knowledgeably.

**He was looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him. **

"I wonder when Harry's seen him angry…" wondered Lily.

"Actually, he probably hasn't, that's why it's such a surprise now," Remus pointed out reasonably.

**"That **_**wasn't funny**_**, Fred!" he shouted. **

"Yes it was!" said both James and Sirius simultaneously.

Lily tutted and rolled her eyes. Although, truth be told, she wasn't all that annoyed; after all, the Dursleys had been horrible to her baby boy, and she bet that Dudley had done the same.

**"What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?" **

"A brilliant trick sweet called a ton-tongue toffee," both Sirius and James said brightly in unison.

**"I didn't give him anything," said Fred, with another evil grin. "I just **_**dropped**_** it ... it was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to." **

James and Sirius burst out laughing again and even Remus couldn't resist chuckling a bit.

"Those twins have guts!" exclaimed Sirius.

"They are so cool!" James agreed.

**"You dropped it on purpose!" roared Mr Weasley. "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet -" **

"Well, unless they were seers they couldn't have known," said James with an evil glint in his eye.

"Mr Weasley's right though," said Lily, though her amused tone betrayed her slightly disapproving frown on her face.

**"How big did his tongue get?" George asked eagerly. **

Remus chuckled again and remarked, "Yup, you're right Padfoot, those twins definitely have guts…"

**"It was four foot long before his parents would let me shrink it!" **

This time all four of them started laughing helplessly and it was several minutes before they had calmed down enough for Sirius to continue reading.

**Harry and the Weasleys roared with laughter again. **

"As they should!" exclaimed James who was still having laughing fits. Perhaps missing out on seeing Dudley get a pig's tail wasn't so bad after all.

Sirius agreed and said, "Harry obviously has good taste in his friends!"

"Of course he does, he _is_ my son, after all!" cooed Lily.

**"It **_**isn't funny**_**!" Mr Weasley shouted. "That sort of behaviour seriously undermines wizard-Muggle relations! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons -" **

James' eyes widened, "So _that's _why he's so mad!" he realized.

"Guess it would be annoying," said Lily.

"Still though, if he works with Muggle relations he'd have seen worse," Sirius reasoned.

"Oh really, what makes you say that?" asked Lily looking at him with her eyebrows raised.

"Well, heaps of pure-bloods enchant stuff and give them to Muggles; it's called muggle baiting," Sirius explained. "It's quite sick actually, trust me. That would probably be nothing compared to other things that have been enchanted over the years."

"That's horrible," exclaimed Lily. "Who would do something like that?"

Sirius shrugged and answered, "Quite a few pure-bloods would actually. They're the same ones that are Death Eaters or believe in the whole 'Muggle purification rubbish'."

**"We didn't give it to him because he was a Muggle!" said Fred indignantly. **

**"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," said George. **

"Ha, I knew he mistreated my son," muttered Lily vindictively. "James, honey, do you think that maybe we should visit my dear sister after this?" she asked sweetly.

"Oh, of course Lily, darling!" answered James with a wicked grin.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Can we come too?"

**"Isn't he, Harry?" **

**"Yeah, he is, Mr Weasley," said Harry earnestly. **

Lily narrowed her eyes at the book making Sirius shift slightly.

**"That's not the point!" raged Mr Weasley. "You wait until I tell your mother -" **

"Hm, wonder what their mums like?" James wondered out loud.

**"Tell me what?" said a voice behind them. **

"Oh dear," said all three boys simultaneously, having all been through this plenty of times after all they're escapades at Hogwarts.

Lily raised an eyebrow and asked, "How do you even know it's the mother?"

"Experience," the three marauders answered dully.

**Mrs Weasley had just entered the kitchen. **

"Told you," said James, shivering slightly as he remembered how many times he had been told off by his own mother.

**She was a short, plump woman with a very kind face, though her eyes were presently narrowed with suspicion. **

**"Oh, hello, Harry dear," she said, spotting him and smiling. **

Lily beamed at the fact that at least _someone _treated her son with compassion though there was still an underlying sadness in her gaze.

James seemed to sense this and put an arm around her, letting her cuddle up against him.

**Then her eyes snapped back to her husband. "Tell me **_**what**_**, Arthur?" **

**Mr Weasley hesitated. Harry could tell that, however angry he was with Fred and George, he hadn't really intended to tell Mrs Weasley what had happened. **

"Sounds like she's got quite the temper," Remus remarked.

"Of course, all redheads have tempers," said James confidently.

"And just what does that mean?" asked Lily, pulling out of his arms and pinning him with a death glare.

James gulped visibly and cowered while answering, "Nothing at all Lily, dear."

Sirius and Remus watched the exchange with amusement and shook their heads while thinking; _the power of a woman. _

**There was a silence, while Mr Weasley eyed his wife nervously. **

Sirius' and Remus' lips twitched.

**Then two girls appeared in the kitchen doorway behind Mrs Weasley. One, with very bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth, was Harry and Ron's friend, Hermione Granger. **

"Oh, we get to meet another one of Harry's friends," exclaimed Lily happily, her earlier anger forgotten as she returned to cuddling beside her husband. James visibly relaxed and sent a glare at his two best friends who were desperately trying to suppress their laughter.

**The other, who was small and red-haired, was Ron's younger sister, Ginny. **

"Another one?" Remus exclaimed incredulously. "That makes how many now?"

"Seven," answered Lily shaking her head. "Six boys and one girl. Poor woman, I really pity her, how on earth does she manage with seven kids?"

James was looking horrified, "Forget the woman; I feel sorry for the girl, Ginny!"

"Why?" Lily asked, bewildered.

Sirius agreed with James. "Can you just imagine what it'd be like for her to be dating with six older brothers? They'd make it a nightmare!"

"Although on the bright side, if anyone ever hurt her, she'd have an instant support team," said Remus, though he too was looking very sorry for Ginny.

"Forget support team," exclaimed James shivering, "The only way you'd be able to find any ex of hers would be with a locater spell and a shovel!"

**Both of them smiled at Harry, who grinned back, which made Ginny go scarlet - she had been very taken with Harry ever since his first visit to The Burrow.**

"Awww," cooed Lily fondly. "Harry's got girls crushing on him!"

"Just like his father," said James proudly.

**"Tell me **_**what**_**, Arthur?" Mrs Weasley repeated, in a dangerous sort of voice. **

Sirius and Remus felt their lips twitch again but Lily and James remained oblivious to the fact that Mr and Mrs Weasley were acting nearly exactly the same as they had just a few minutes ago.

**"It's nothing, Molly," mumbled Mr Weasley, "Fred and George just - but I've had words with them - " **

**"What have they done this time?" said Mrs Weasley. "If it's got anything to do with **_**Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes**_** -" **

"Ah-ha! The chapter title crops up!," exclaimed James, intrigued.

"Still though, I wonder what it could mean…" said Remus curiously.

**"Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" said Hermione from the doorway. **

"Smart girl," praised James with a smirk.

**"He knows where he's sleeping," said Ron. "In my room, he slept there last -" **

"Idiot, it's a way to get out of the room before the shouting begins!" exclaimed Sirius.

**"We can all go," said Hermione, pointedly.**

**"Oh," said Ron, cottoning on. "Right." **

"Now he gets it," exclaimed Sirius exasperatingly.

"I bet you the twins will try to come to," said James laughingly.

"True … it's what we would have done!"

**"Yeah, we'll come too," said George. **

"I knew it!" exclaimed James, laughing along with Sirius and Remus.

**"**_**You stay where you are**_**!" snarled Mrs Weasley. **

**Harry and Ron edged out of the kitchen, and they, Hermione and Ginny set off along the narrow hallway and up the rickety staircase that zig-zagged through the house to the upper storeys. **

**"What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked as they climbed. **

"Good boy Harry, that's exactly what we want to know!" Lily said, approvingly.

**Ron and Ginny both laughed, although Hermione didn't. **

"Just like Remus," said James fondly, dodging the pillow the aforementioned werewolf had thrown.

**"Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred and George's room," said Ron quietly. "Great long price-lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that ..." **

Once again all their jaws dropped. "I don't think those twins will ever cease to amaze me," said Sirius softly.

"They must be incredibly smart to be able to invent all of those things," Lily remarked in amazement.

"They're definitely brilliant pranksters, though it doesn't sound as though their mother was too happy about it," said Remus.

If only the twins could hear the praises of their idols!

**"We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages, but we never thought they were actually **_**making**_** things," said Ginny. "We thought they just liked the noise."**

"Never underestimate strange noises from a pranksters lair," said James wisely.

"Still though, we never did anything like this!" said Sirius in awe.

**"Only, most of the stuff - well, all of it, really - was a bit dangerous," said Ron, **

"I dunno, I think they might be over exaggerating a bit there," said Remus doubtfully.

"Well as long as they don't give Harry any, I'm fine with it" said Lily. James privately agreed but didn't dare say it in front of his friends because he knew that they would start teasing him for being so overprotective, as they had done ever since Harry had been born.

**"and, you know, they were planning to sell it at Hogwarts to make some money, and Mum went mad at them. Told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it, and burnt all the order forms ... she's furious at them anyway. They didn't get as many O. as she expected." **

"Well, even if she is mad, she shouldn't forbid them from doing something that would make them happy!" Remus exclaimed.

"I suppose she had high expectations, after all sounds like the three eldest were quite smart themselves," said Lily thoughtfully.

**O. were Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the examinations Hogwarts students took at the age of fifteen. **

**"And then there was this big row," Ginny said, "because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they told her all they wanted to do is open a joke-shop." **

"Well, really she should let them choose," said Remus.

"I wonder why she wouldn't?" mused Lily, "After all her two eldest don't have anything to do with the Ministry."

"Probably doesn't want two of her children to open a joke shop," said James. "Doubt they'd listen to her though."

"No kid would listen to their mother if she was trying to crush their dreams," said Sirius.

**Just then, a door on the second landing opened, and a face poked out wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a very annoyed expression. **

**"Hi, Percy," said Harry.**

"Oh, this must be the other brother," said Lily.

Sirius didn't look to happy, "Isn't this the one that was fond of bossing people around?" he asked. **  
**  
**"Oh, hello, Harry," said Percy. "I was wondering who was making all the noise.**

Lily raised her eyebrows and said coolly, "Well from what I can tell they weren't making all that much noise."

"**I'm trying to work in here, you know - I've got a report to finish for the office - and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keep thundering up and down the stairs." **

"As Lily said I don't think they were thundering," said James, who already had a bad impression of Percy. He was exactly the type of person that the marauders would prank.

**"We're not **_**thundering**_**," said Ron irritably. "We're walking. **

"Exactly!" James exclaimed.

**Sorry if we've disturbed the top-secret workings of the Ministry of Magic." **

**"What are you working on?" said Harry.**

James groaned and Sirius said in a disgusted voice, "Why'd you have to ask that? Now we have to listen to him go on and on about his stupid job!"

Lily pinned them both with an icy glare and said frostily, "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps Harry is polite unlike you two sorry excuses!"

Both men whimpered and said quickly, "Yes Lily," to stop her glaring at them.

Lily's eyes softened as she turned to the book in Sirius' hand and cooed to it, "That was very polite of you Harry dear, it's nice to know your father and godfather haven't been too much of an influence on you."

James thought that it would be better for his health (and love life) to not mention that Harry wouldn't be able to hear her.

Sirius came to the same conclusion and continued to read trying to ignore a certain sniggering werewolf.

**"A report for the Department of International Magical Co-operation," said Percy smugly. "We're trying to standardise cauldron thickness. Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin - leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three per cent a year -"**

This time all four of them stared at the book in disbelief.

"He actually wants to work on some report on cauldron bottoms?" said James disbelievingly, as though he couldn't imagine anyone doing anything like that.

"Well … at least he's very, er, dedicated to his job," said Lily, slightly unsurely.

**"That'll change the world, that report will," said Ron. "Front page of the **_**Daily Prophet**_**, I expect, cauldron leaks." **

This time they started laughing. "Ha, my son definitely picks good friends," said James with pride evident in his voice.

"The whole family seems very kind," said Lily in an approving manner.

**Percy went slightly pink. "You might sneer, Ron," he said heatedly, "but unless some sort of international law is imposed we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow-bottomed products which seriously endanger -" **

"Who cares?" they all exclaimed as Sirius and James started to fake snore.

"**Yeah, yeah, all right," said Ron, and he started off upstairs again. **

"That's right Ron, stop him before we all die of boredom!" cheered James.

**Percy slammed his bedroom door shut. As Harry, Hermione and Ginny followed Ron up three more flights of stairs, shouts from the kitchen below echoed up to them. **

Once again Sirius and Remus felt their lips twitch at the likeness between Mr and Mrs Weasley and Lily and James while the two in question remained completely oblivious.

**It sounded as though Mr Weasley had told Mrs Weasley about the toffees.**

"The power of a woman," said James with a sigh making the aforementioned canine duo snigger.**  
**  
**The room at the top of the house where Ron slept looked much as it had done the last time Harry had come to stay; the same posters of Ron's favourite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, **

James and Sirius started laughing hysterically and even Remus began chuckling though Lily looked quite confused.

She waited several moments and then said impatiently, "All right, what's so funny?"

"He supports the Chudley Cannons!" gasped out James, still laughing though not as hysterically.

"And?" asked Lily with a raised eyebrow.

"They're like the worst team in Quidditch history!" Sirius exclaimed, beginning to calm down.

"I don't believe that they've yet managed to win a single title," agreed Remus.

Lily just huffed and muttered "_Quidditch nuts_," under her breath as Sirius regained control enough to continue to read.

**were whirling and waving on the walls and sloping ceiling, and the fish tank on the window-sill which had previously held frog-spawn now contained one extremely large frog. Ron's old rat, Scabbers, was here no more, **

"Wonder what happened," said Remus idly.

**but instead there was the tiny grey owl that had delivered Ron's letter to Harry in Privet Drive. It was hopping up and down in a small cage, twittering madly. **

**"Shut **_**up**_**, Pig," **

James snorted, "I still can't believe that's the owl's name!"

**said Ron, edging his way between two of the four beds that had been squeezed into the room. "Fred and George are in here with us, because Bill and Charlie are in their room," he told Harry. "Percy gets to keep his room all to himself because he's got to **_**work**_**."**

"Yeah right, he's probably just using that as an excuse," said Sirius scathingly and James nodded in agreement.

**"Er - why are you calling that owl Pig?" Harry asked Ron. **

"I'm sure we'd all love to know," said Remus dryly.

"**Because he's being stupid," said Ginny. "Its proper name is Pigwidgeon."**

"And how is that not stupid?" asked James slowly.

"Keep reading and we'll find out." Lily said, annoyed that the reading was being interrupted.

"**Yeah, and that's not a stupid name at all," said Ron sarcastically. **

"I agree with Ron!" said James.

**"Ginny named him," he explained to Harry. "She reckons it's sweet. **

"_Women_," the three men said under their breath although James said so very quietly so as not to anger his wife.

**And I tried to change it, but it was too late, he won't answer to anything else. So now he's Pig. **

"Pigwidgeon may not be a brilliant name, but I personally think that it's better than Pig," said Lily with a raised eyebrow.

**I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me, too, come to that." **

**Pigwidgeon zoomed happily around his cage, hooting shrilly. Harry knew Ron too well to take him seriously. He had moaned continually about his old rat Scabbers, but had been most upset when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, appeared to have eaten him.**

"What does he mean by appeared to have eaten him?" asked Remus both confused and curious.

"It's simple Moony, Crookshanks must be a cat, and cats eat rats," said James slowly with a raised eyebrow.

"I figured that much out myself, thanks!" Remus snapped at him before saying, "It says that Crookshanks 'appeared' to have eaten him. I was wondering what that meant."

"You have a fair point there Remus," said Lily thoughtfully. "Maybe it's a typo?"

"Well, if it is or isn't we'll find out if we keep reading," said Sirius.

Lily looked at him, surprised and said, "When on earth did you start using your brain and why wasn't I informed?"

Sirius scowled at her as James and Remus started laughing.

**"Where's Crookshanks?" Harry asked Hermione now. **

**"Out in the garden, I expect," she said. "He likes chasing gnomes, he's never seen any before." **

"My cat did the same thing when I went to Alice's house," said Lily reminiscently.

**"Percy's enjoying work, then?" said Harry, sitting down on one of the beds and watching the Chudley Cannons zooming in and out of the posters on the ceiling.**

James and Sirius groaned again and Sirius said in a disgusted voice, "Why do we have to talk about him?"

However he quickly continued to read at the icy glare he received from Lily.**  
**  
**"Enjoying it?" said Ron darkly. "I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him. He's obsessed. **

"We can tell!" James exclaimed. Sirius nodded rolling his eyes.

**Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. **_**According to Mr Crouch **_

"Mr Crouch?" asked Lily in a surprised voice. "Isn't he the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"Yeah, but he'd probably be minister in Harry's time wouldn't he?" asked Sirius. "I mean, he's a direct shoe-in at the next elections."

"Yeah, really politically powerful," James agreed. "But if he is the minister, how can he be Percy's boss? Nobody can get a job that high up at the ministry only one year out of Hogwarts. It's just not possible."

"No, you're right, it's not," agreed Remus frowning. "And I don't see the minister getting his worker to work on cauldron bottoms of all things. He must not have made minister."

"Let's keep reading then, though if Crouch didn't get the job I'd be surprised, like Sirius said, he a shoe-in," said Lily.

"Hopefully we'll find out in this chapter," Sirius said, and he then continued reading the book aloud.

_**... as I was saying to Mr Crouch**_

_**... Mr Crouch is of the opinion... Mr Crouch was telling me... **_

"Well, whatever department they work in, Percy is definitely obsessed with him," said Remus with a raised eyebrow.

**They'll be announcing their engagement any day now." **

They all let out a bark of laughter.

**"Have you had a good summer, Harry?" said Hermione. "Did you get our food parcels and everything?" **

**"Yeah, thanks a lot," said Harry. "They saved my life, those cakes." **

"I bet they did, no thanks to that dratted sister of mine," muttered Lily vindictively.

**"And have you heard from -?" Ron began, but at a look from Hermione he fell silent. **

"Why?" asked James curiously.

**Harry knew he had been about to ask about Sirius.**

"Well, why'd Hermione stop him?" asked James crossly.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. Besides, he wouldn't mind knowing how he was doing in about fifteen years.**  
**  
**Ron and Hermione had been so deeply involved in helping Sirius escape from the Ministry of Magic that they were almost as concerned about Harry's godfather as he was.**

"Aw, thanks guys," said Sirius gratefully.

"Harry really does have great friends doesn't he," James said fondly.

"A lot like you guys," said Remus, also fondly.

**However, discussing him in front of Ginny was a bad idea. Nobody but themselves, and Professor Dumbledore knew about how Sirius escaped, or believed his innocence.**

"Well that sucks," said Sirius bluntly.

"Tell me about it. The servant guy that framed you must have done a really good job. Still though, I wonder why you didn't say anything under veritaserum at your trial?" James wondered curiously.

"Maybe we'll find out later on in the book," Remus suggested.

**"I think they've stopped arguing," said Hermione, to cover that awkward moment because Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry. "Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?"**

"Not a good idea," said James and Sirius in unison.

"Why not?" asked Lily.

"Even if the mothers stopped yelling, it doesn't mean that she isn't angry anymore. It's usually a better idea to stay out of their way for a while," James explained to her.

"Yeah, and James and Sirius would know!" Remus said in an amused tone. Then he quickly had to dodge before he was hit by a pillow.

**"Yeah, all right," said Ron. The four of them left Ron's room and went back downstairs, to find Mrs Weasley alone in the kitchen, looking extremely bad-tempered. **

"Told you," James and Sirius said unison, shuddering as they remembered their own experiences with bad-tempered mothers.

**"We're eating out in the garden," she said when they came in. **

"That'd be fun," Lily said enthusiastically. "It's really pretty outside with all the stars and lights and everything!"

**"There's just no room for eleven people in here. **

"I really admire this woman," said Lily shaking her head. "Eleven people staying at her house, nine of them kids … I'd go nuts!"

**Could you take the plates outside, girls? Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two," she said to Ron and Harry, pointing her wand a little more vigorously than she had intended at a pile of potatoes in the sink, which shot out of their skins so fast that they ricocheted off the walls and ceilings.**

"My, mother did that once, remember Padfoot?" James asked reminiscently.

"Oh, yeah, that was when she was mad at us for blowing a hole in the living room wall," Sirius answered.

"I don't want to know," said Lily dryly.

**"Oh, for heaven's **_**sake**_**," she snapped, now directing her wand at a dustpan, which hopped off the side and started skating across the floor, scooping up the potatoes. "Those two!" she burst out savagely, **

"Aw, great, now they're gonna have to listen to a lecture," James whined.

**now pulling pots and pans out of a cupboard, and Harry knew she meant Fred and George. "I don't know what's going to happen to them, I really don't. No ambition, unless you count making as much trouble as they possibly can..." **

"Not quite, they want to open a joke shop, that's quite ambitious," said Remus. "She really shouldn't pressure her sons, they're just going to rebel."

"I suppose she only wants what's best for her children, still though she should support them," agreed Lily. "I mean if it was an area that it would be obvious that they'd fail in I'd understand, but it seems like they should be really successful in the area of jokes."

**She slammed a large copper saucepan down on the kitchen table and began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred. **

**"It's not as though they haven't got brains," she continued irritably,**

"Well, looking at some of the stuff that they've invented, they have to have brains," said James.

"It's like these two," (Remus gestured to James and Sirius) "they have brains but only use them in the area of pranking," said Remus, smirking.

**taking the saucepan over to the stove and lighting it with a further poke of her wand, "but they're wasting them, and unless they pull themselves together soon, they'll be in real trouble. I've had more owls from Hogwarts about them then the rest put together. If they carry on the way they're going, they'll end up in front of the Improper Use of Magic Office." **

"Do you really think it's that bad?" asked Lily curiously. "I mean, it seems quite harmless, as long as they don't lie about the products then I'm sure nothing that drastic will happen!"

**Mrs Weasley jabbed her wand at the cutlery drawer, which shot open. Harry and Ron both jumped out of the way as several knives soared out of it, **

Lily's mood did an abrupt turnaround as she said fussingly, "Oh Harry dear, get out the way before you get hurt."

**flew across the kitchen and began chopping the potatoes, which had just been tipped back into the sink by the dustpan. **

**"I don't know where we went wrong with them," said Mr Weasley, putting down her wand and starting to pull out still more saucepans. "It's been the same for years, one thing after another, and they won't listen to - OH, NOT **_**AGAIN**_**!" **

"Wonder what happened?" asked Remus.

"Bet you it's got something to do with those twins," said James amusedly.

Remus nodded. "Probably."

**She had picked up her wand from the table, and it had emitted a loud squeak and turned into a giant rubber mouse.**

All of their mouths dropped open for the third time that chapter.

"Did they seriously invent something like that?" asked Sirius in a hushed voice.

"They must have," answered Remus. "It might get annoying, but it would make a _brilliant_ prank."

"That, Moony, is the understatement of the century," said James in an awed voice. "Can you imagine giving one of those things to _Snivellus_?"

Sirius laughed and even Remus chuckled a bit, though disapprovingly while Lily glared at them and said icily, "Can't you guys leave Snape alone?"

All three of the marauders said together;

"Nope,"

"Nup,"

"Sorry,"

**"One of their fake wands again!" she shouted. **

"They really did invent them!" said James. "I swear, those twins will never cease to amaze me."

**"How many times have I told those two not to leave them lying around?" She grabbed her real wand and turned around to find that the sauce on the stove was smoking.**

"Well I suppose she does have a fair point about them leaving their jokes around," said Lily fairly.

**"C'mon," Ron said hurriedly to Harry, seizing a handful of cutlery from the open drawer, "let's go and help Bill and Charlie." **

Sirius agreed with Ron. "Yeah, get away before she starts yelling!"

**They left Mrs Weasley, and headed out of the back door into the yard. **

**They had only gone a few paces when Hermione's bandy-legged, ginger cat Crookshanks **

"See, Crookshanks is a cat," said James smugly.

"And I told you that I had figured _that_ out myself!" Remus snapped.

**came pelting out of the garden, bottle-brush tail held high in the air, chasing what looked like a muddy potato on legs. **

"A gnome," they all said simultaneously.

**Harry recognised it instantly as a gnome. Barely ten inches tall, its horny little feet pattered very fast as it sprinted across the yard and dived headlong into one of the wellington boots that lay scattered around the door. Harry could hear it giggling madly as Crookshanks inserted a paw into the boot, trying to reach it.**

"I swear those gnomes are insane," said Sirius rolling his eyes,

**Meanwhile, a very loud crashing noise was coming from the other side of the house. **

"Percy won't be too happy," mused Remus.

**The source of the commotion was revealed as they entered the garden and saw that Bill and Charlie both had their wands out, and were making two battered old tables fly high above the lawn, smashing into each other, each attempting to knock the other's out of the air.**

"Cool!" said James and Sirius. "Hey Prongs, lets do that later."

"Yea, definitely," James agreed enthusiastically.

"Not at Godrics' Hollow you're not," said Lily firmly, in the air of a very strict mother telling off her children disapprovingly.

"Aww, please Lily," James pleaded.

Lily crossed her arms defiantly. "No!"

**Fred and George were cheering; Ginny was laughing, and Hermione was hovering near the hedge, apparently torn between amusement and anxiety. **

"Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it?" asked Remus fondly, remembering how many times they themselves had done this. James and Sirius would be cheering (or the ones mucking about), Peter would be laughing and he would be both amused and anxious.

**Bill's table caught Charlie's with a huge bang, and knocked one of its legs off. **

"Go Bill!" Sirius cheered.

"I wish we'd have thought of that!" laughed James.

**There was a clatter from overhead, and they all looked up to see Percy's head poking out of a window on the second floor. **

"I knew that kid wouldn't be too happy," said Remus rolling his eyes.

"Urgh, he's way too serious for his own good!" said James.

"Yeah, he has to learn the fun in life!" Sirius agreed.

Lily just laughed.

**"Will you keep it down?" he bellowed. **

**"Sorry, Perce," said Bill, grinning. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?" **

"Bill's cool!" Sirius exclaimed, laughing a bit.

**"Very badly," said Percy peevishly, and he slammed the window shut again. **

"I'm beginning to agree with you guys, Percy needs to learn how to have fun," said Lily frowning slightly.

**Chuckling, Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely onto the grass, end to end, and then, with a flick of his wand, Bill reattached the table leg, and conjured tablecloths from nowhere.**

"Aw, I wanted to see them have another table fight!" said Sirius in a disappointed tone.

Lily rolled her eyes and murmured under her breath, "Immature prats."

**By seven o'clock, the two tables were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs Weasley's excellent cooking, and the nine Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep-blue sky. **

"Aw, it'd be so gorgeous," sighed Lily.

"Yeah, it'd be fun," Remus agreed.

**To somebody who had been living on meals of increasingly stale cake all summer, this was paradise, and at first, Harry listened rather than talked, as he helped himself to chicken-and-ham pie, boiled potatoes and salad.**

"That's right Harry, You eat your fill," said Lily fussingly. "I swear when I get my hands on my sister, letting my poor baby get malnourished…"

**At the far end of the table, Percy was telling his father all about his report on cauldron bottoms.**

"And he's actually listening?" asked Sirius.

"Doubt it … I mean who would?" asked James.

"Maybe a _father _that's interested in what his son is doing," Lily snapped at them.

**"I've told Mr Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday," Percy was saying pompously. "That's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time.** **I mean, it's extremely busy in out department just now, what with all the arrangements of the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman -" **

All three of the boys jaws dropped in awe. Lily just looked confused.

"Did he just say Ludo Bagman?" asked James in a hushed voice as though saying it any louder would make it untrue.

"Yeah…" said Sirius.

"_The_ Ludo Bagman?" asked Remus.

"Alright, you got me," said Lily. "Who on earth is Ludo Bagman?"

The boys looked at her as though she was insane. James spoke up and said, "Ludo Bagman happens to be one of the _best_ Quidditch players _ever_!"

"Oh," said Lily, clearly unimpressed. "Looks like he doesn't play Quidditch anymore though."

"Well, no, he wouldn't, he'd be too old," Remus pointed out.

"The man is definitely a legend though," James sighed.

Lily rolled her eyes and told Sirius to keep reading and then they could find out more about the 'legendary' Quidditch player.

**"I like Ludo," said Mr Weasley mildly. "He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. **

"Wow, a great Quidditch player and also really generous," said James in awe.

"That was good of him," Remus concurred.

**I did him a bit of a favour: his brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble - a lawnmower with unnatural powers - I smoothed the whole thing over." **

"Well that might explain it," Remus admitted logically.

"Still though, he didn't have to get them such good tickets, did he?" said James.

"Point."

**"Oh, Bagman's **_**likeable**_** enough, of course," said Percy dismissively,** **"but how he ever got to be Head of Department**

Sirius snorted, "The man's a legend, of course he'd be head of a department!"

"Yeah, Magical Games and Sports is definitely what I can see Bagman doing after retiring," agreed Remus.

**... when I compare him to Mr Crouch! I can't see Mr Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. **

"Ok, so maybe that wasn't quite so smart," said James, starting to sound a little doubtful.

The other three nodded silently.

**You realise Bertha Jorkins **

"Wait, Bertha Jorkins?" asked Lily slowly. "Wasn't she the one that Harry dreamt about? The one that Voldemort killed?" her voice had begun to rise slightly with hysteria.

Remus nodded, "Yeah, it was…"

"Don't worry Lily, I'm sure it'll be alright," said James comfortingly.

**has been missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"**

**"Yes, I was asking Ludo about that," said Mr Weasley, frowning. "He says Bertha's got lost plenty of times before now - though, I must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried..." **

"That doesn't sound like Bertha at all," said Remus slowly.

"Yeah, I just don't see her getting lost, not with that brain of hers!" agreed James, wincing as her remembered several rumours that Bertha had spread about him.

**"Oh, Bertha's **_**hopeless**_**, all right," said Percy. "I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth ... **

"Why though?" asked Lily curiously.

"I suppose her gossiping could get annoying," Sirius said, though he sounded doubtful.

**but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her. Mr Crouch has been taking a personal interest - she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr Crouch was quite fond of her - but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania.**

"That makes no sense," said Remus slowly. "After all, James said it, her memory is absolutely brilliant. She never forgets a thing!"

"I suppose we'll find out later in the book…"

**However," Percy heaved an impressive sigh, and took a deep swig of elderflower wine, "we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Co-operation **

"Ok, this book is giving us too many mysteries!" Lily exclaimed, frustrated. "How on earth did Bartemius Crouch end up as head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation?"

"I have no clue, Lily," said James frowning.

Remus agreed and mentioned, "Even if he didn't become minister, then he would at least stay head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Well then lets keep reading, hopefully the answers will be revealed… soon," Sirius sighed.

**without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup." **

"More mysteries," Lily moaned, rolling her eyes.

**He cleared his throat significantly and looked down towards the end of the table where Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting. "**_**You**_** know the one I'm talking about, Father." He raised his voice slightly. "The top-secret one." **

Remus looked amused as he said, "Why don't you just tell them to ask you about it?"

"Urgh, I like the Weasleys but this Percy kid is just a show-off," said Sirius in a disgusted voice.

**Ron rolled his eyes and muttered to Harry and Hermione, "He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work. Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons."**

"Probably," they all muttered, even Lily for she wasn't in the best of moods with all of the mysteries that had been revealed so far.

**In the middle of the table, Mrs Weasley was arguing with Bill about his earring, which seemed to be a recent acquisition. **

"Why argue, it's cool!" Sirius demanded.

"Yeah!" James agreed. "Though… I'm not surprised his mother isn't happy about it."

"Yeah, me neither now that I think about it," admitted Sirius sheepishly. "But its still cool!"

**"... with a horrible great fang on it, really, Bill, what do they say at the bank?" **

Remus snorted and said, "I wouldn't bother Mrs Weasley, if he wants to keep it then you won't stop it. Trust me, I've had plenty of experience with these prats!"

Sirius and James didn't deign this comment with a response, mainly because there weren't any pillows near them that they could throw.

**"Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring home plenty of treasure," said Bill patiently. **

**"And your hair's getting silly, dear," said Mrs Weasley, fingering her wand lovingly. "I wish you'd let me give it a trim ..." **

"Ha, you wouldn't _believe _how many times my mum's said that to me!" James exclaimed vehemently. "Of course, she knows it's in vain … it's the Potter curse!"

"It sounds like Mrs Weasley is quite the old fashioned mother, doesn't it?" asked Lily thoughtfully.

"Either she'll give up soon or she'll continue to argue even though she knows it won't do any good."

**"I like it," said Ginny, who was sitting beside Bill. "You're so old-fashioned, Mum. Anyway, it's nowhere near as long as Professor Dumbledore's ..."**

"Whose is?" asked Sirius dryly with a raised eyebrow.

**Next to Mrs Weasley, Fred, George and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup.**

"Ah, now here's a conversation worth listening to!" exclaimed James excitedly.

Lily just rolled her eyes fondly.

**"It's got to be Ireland," said Charlie thickly, through a mouthful of potato. "They flattened Peru in the semi-finals." **

"Yeah, Ireland has always been a brilliant team," mentioned Sirius.

"They were beaten by the Wasps last year though weren't they?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, but they still managed to get to the semi-finals," James said. "I don't know what Peru is like though."

**"Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though," said Fred. **

"Krum must be a really good new player," said Sirius. "Wonder what position he plays?"

"Probably Seeker or Keeper," Remus suggested logically.

**"Krum's one decent player, Ireland has got seven," said Charlie shortly.**

"Doesn't sound like Bulgaria is all that good …" said James frowning.

Lily decided to put in her two cents and said, "Well, they have to be at least slightly good or they'd have never made it to the finals."

"Yeah, Lily's got a point. Sounds like Ireland have got a really good team though," said James.

"I wish England had got through, though. That was embarrassing, that was."

"And just what do you mean by that?" asked James suspiciously.

Sirius and Remus looked slightly nervous, knowing what their friends temper was like.

"I'm sure it can't be that bad," said Lily, though she sounded unconvinced.

**"What happened?" said Harry eagerly, regretting more than ever his isolation from the wizarding world when he was stuck in Privet Drive. **

"Dratted sister," Lily muttered under her breath.

**Harry was passionate about Quidditch. **

"Just like his father," said Sirius, Remus and Lily in unison.

James mock scowled at them, but his eyes had a proud look in them that he had managed to pass on his love of Quidditch to his only son.

**He had played as Seeker on the Gryffindor house Quidditch team ever since his first year at Hogwarts **

"First year?!" said James incredulously. "Merlin, Harry must be absolutely brilliant!" he said proudly.

"Yeah, that's right," said Lily softly and also proudly.

**and owned a Firebolt, one of the best racing brooms in the world.**

Remus laughed and said, "Typical of you Sirius, to buy Harry such an extravagant present!"

James on the other hand was ecstatic, "Oh my gosh, Padfoot, thank you so much! That was really good of you!"

Sirius just laughed and said, "Well apparently I've missed out on twelve years of my godsons life, it's the least I can do!"

**"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," **

Remus and Sirius groaned, knowing what was coming next.

"THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY TO TEN???? WERE THEY ASLEEP OR SOMETHING. WHAT ON EARTH - ," James bellowed, but was stopped midway when Lily once again silenced him with a charm.

"I'm not letting you go until the end of this chapter," she told him sternly. "And you are not allowed to rave about Quidditch results, even if they are outrageous."

James nodded, glaring at her and then sending another glare to his two best friends who were trying their best not to snicker.

**said Charlie gloomily.** **"Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland were slaughtered by Luxembourg." **

James was shaking his head furiously as though he couldn't believe that someone could possibly get those kind of results.

Sirius and Remus looked surprised as well, it seemed like England hadn't had much luck with Quidditch in Harry's time.

**Mr Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their pudding (home-made strawberry ice-cream), **

"Mmm, my favourite," said Lily dreamily. James nodded vehemently, and then sent another glare to Sirius and Remus.

**and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle.**  
**  
Harry was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world **

"That's right dear, you should be happy," cooed Lily. James nodded once again, as did Sirius and Remus.

**as he watched several gnomes sprinting through the rose bushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks. **

**Ron looked carefully up the table to check that the rest of the family were all busy talking, then he said very quietly to Harry. "So - **_**have**_** you heard from Sirius lately?" **

**Hermione looked round, listening closely. **

"Aw, Harry really does have good friends," said Sirius gratefully. James nodded in agreement, looking proud at his son's good choices.

**"Yeah," said Harry softly, "twice. He sounds OK. I wrote to him the day before yesterday. He might write back while I'm here." **

Suddenly Lily adopted a stern voice, "And you tell your friends about your dream, Harry. They can help."

James nodded vehemently, though by now he was sick of doing so.

**He suddenly remembered the reason he had written to Sirius and, for a moment, was on the verge of telling Ron and Hermione about his scar hurting again, and about the dream which had awoken him ... **

"Come on dear, just tell them," Lily coaxed.

**but he really didn't want to worry them just now, not when he himself was feeling so happy and peaceful.**

"Well, fine then, don't listen to your mother," said Lily huffily.

"Relax Lily, I'm sure Harry will tell them eventually, he just doesn't want to worry them right now," said Sirius.

"Well, as long as he tells them soon." Lily replied.

**"Look at the time," Mrs Weasley said suddenly, checking her wristwatch. "You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you, you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup.**

"Oh yes Harry dear, you need to get a good nights rest," said Lily, returning to fussing over her son again.

**Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."**

**"Wow - I hope it does this time!" said Harry enthusiastically. **

"So do we!" the boys said enthusiastically. Well, James mouthed enthusiastically.

**"Well, I certainly don't," said Percy sanctimoniously.**

"What, afraid you'll have fun?" asked Sirius scathingly.

**"I **_**shudder**_** to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."**

James looked indignant at the fact that anyone could be thinking about work instead of the cup.

**"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred. **

They all laughed, quite surprised, though, once again, James did so silently.

**"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy going very red in the face.**

"Sure it was," said Sirius and Remus in unison.

**"It was nothing **_**personal**_**!" **

**"It was," Fred whispered to Harry, as they got up from the table. "We sent it."**

They all burst out laughing, and, since it was now the end of the chapter, Lily undid the silencing spell on James so he could laugh properly.

Remus was shaking his head as he said, "Well, you gotta hand it to those twins, I don't think even these two would do something like that!"

They all laughed for a few moments more before composing themselves as Remus offered to read and took the book from Sirius.

---------**Authors Notes**----------

_Thank yout o all those that reviewed. I hope you also enjoyed this one, but let me know what you thought! Its not that hard, and they even made the button really big now..._

_Anyway, have a good week, and wish me luck for my exams next week! Ugh..._


	6. The Portkey

_Glad that all of you are enjoying this fic, please, continue to review! :)_

_Thank you **keikolilo **for beta-ing!_

---------------------

**CHAPTER SIX**

**THE PORTKEY**

"Why on earth is there an entire chapter dedicated to a portkey?" asked Sirius.

"It must be the one to take them to the World Cup!" said James excitedly.

Lily rolled her eyes and muttered, "Anything to do with the world cup is good enough to have an entire chapter to itself according to James."

**Harry felt as though he had barely lain down to sleep in Ron's room when he was being shaken awake by Mrs Weasley.**

"Oh, come on, son! If it were me I wouldn't even be able to sleep the day before!" James exclaimed.

Lily gave him an evil eye and said, "And what, you want _my _baby to not get enough sleep?"

"Er, of course not Lily dear," said James inching away from his wife. "And it's _our _baby, darling," he reminded. If there was one thing you didn't do, it was to anger Lily Potter, and he in particular did not want to spend the night on the couch. "Remus, keep reading," he ordered with a glare, so as to stop his two best friends from snorting through their noses with laughter.

**"Time to go, Harry, dear," she whispered, moving away to wake Ron.**

Remus snorted and remarked, "If it's anything like trying to wake Sirius, then I pity the poor woman."

This time it was Sirius' turn to glare and he also said indignantly, "I am not that hard to wake up!"

This time James snorted. "Actually, Padfoot, you are. Remember that time in sixth year when we tried to wake you up by throwing water on you and you still didn't wake up?"

"Seriously, Padfoot, you sleep like the living dead," Remus agreed, smirking.

"I'll take your word for it," said Lily in amusement. "Now keep reading!"

**Harry felt around for his glasses, put them on and sat up. It was still dark outside. **

"Still dark?" asked Sirius incredulously. "But then it's not even morning yet! Why are they going in the dead of night?"

"Don't be stupid, Sirius! They probably have to be there by dawn or something!" snapped Lily.

"Exactly, just because you've never heard of the word _dawn_ doesn't mean that no-one else has!" Remus concurred.

Sirius huffily sat back in his seat with his arms crossed and stayed there, sulking.

**Ron muttered indistinctly as his mother roused him. **

James smirked, "Probably a good thing his mother didn't hear him!"

Remus chuckled and nodded in agreement. Sirius was still sulking so he didn't answer.

**At the foot of Harry's mattress he saw two large, dishevelled shapes emerging from tangles of blankets. **

"Must be the twins," James mentioned idly.

**"S'time already?" said Fred groggily.**

"He sounds like Sirius in the morning," Remus said teasingly.

Sirius just glared at him and continued to sulk as Lily and James started to laugh.

**They dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk, then, yawning and stretching, the four of them headed downstairs into the kitchen.**

**Mrs Weasley was stirring the contents of a large pot on the stove, while Mr Weasley was sitting at the table, checking a sheaf of large parchment tickets. **

James was looking excited again and started fidgeting. Lily and Remus looked at each other and resigned themselves to James and his _Quidditch obsession_.

**He looked up as the boys entered, and spread his arms so that they could see his clothes more clearly. **

Remus sat up from where he had been slouching and said with a smirk, "Well, watching a pure-blood wizard try to dress like a muggle is always interesting."

"Not to mention utterly hilarious at times," Lily with a smile.

James was still fidgeting impatiently, and Sirius was still sulking, so they didn't answer.

**He was wearing what appeared to be a golfing jumper and a very old pair of jeans, slightly too big for him and held up with a thick leather belt.**

"Aw, he could actually pass in the muggle world with that," said Remus, sounding disappointed.

James rolled his eyes and said in a tone that indicated that this should have been obvious, "Well, he's _utterly_ obsessed with Muggles and works with them so I think that it is safe to say he _knows_ how to _dress_ like one, obviously."

**"What d'you think?" he asked anxiously. "We're supposed to go incognito - do I look like a Muggle, Harry?"**

"Unfortunately you do look like a muggle," said James.

"Oh don't sound so disappointed," snapped Lily.

"But it would be funnier if he didn't dress up properly!"

**"Yeah," said Harry, smiling, "very good."**

"Oh, see Harry is very kind unlike his father," cooed Lily.

James just rolled his eyes while Sirius continued to sulk.

**"Where're Bill, Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?" said George, failing to stifle a huge yawn.**

"They all sound exhausted, I wonder what the time is," James asked curiously.

"They are men, they are going to be tired no matter what time it is," said of a Lily laughingly.

James just pouted, but didn't bother answering as he knew that she was right.

**"Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" said Mrs Weasley, heaving the large pot over to the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."**

"Well that's not fair," Sirius exclaimed. He had finally decided to stop sulking.

Lily, however, interjected dryly, "Yet also very sensible don't you think?"

James shook his head and said in a whining voice, "I agree with Padfoot; it's not fair!"

**Harry knew that Apparating was very difficult; it meant disappearing from one place and reappearing almost instantly in another.**

Sirius and James looked very bored.

**"So they're still in bed?" said Fred grumpily, pulling his bowl of porridge towards him. "Why can't we Apparate, too?" **

"They must not be of age yet," noted Remus.

"That rule has always bugged me," grumbled James.

"But yet, once again, quite sensible," said Lily, as if it settled the matter.

**"Because you're not of age and you haven't got your test," snapped Mrs Weasley. **

"We know that already," said James.

**"And where have those girls got to?"**

**She bustled out of the kitchen and they heard her climbing the stairs. **

"How is it that mothers always seem to have energy no matter what time it is?" asked James rhetorically.

Sirius shrugged and said, "It's just a mum thing."

Lily said, "Not particularly true, after all I'm a mother and I definitely get tired when Harry wakes up in the middle of the night."

Remus looked thoughtful and said, "She's probably had a lot of practice having seven kids and all."

"I still can't believe she managed to stay sane with seven kids," said Lily, shaking her head.

**"You have to pass a test to Apparate?" Harry asked.**

Sirius looked surprised as he said, "Of course you have to pass a test, otherwise you'd have heaps of people splinching in themselves."

"Yeah but Harry obviously doesn't know that," Remus pointed out.

James had a stony look in his eye. He wasn't betraying any emotions, but inside he was feeling upset. Harry should have known that, he would have known that if James himself had gotten to raise his son.

**"Oh yes," said Mr Weasley, tucking the tickets safely into the back pocket of his jeans. "The Department of Magical Transportation had to fine a couple of people the other day for Apparating without a licence. **

"Well that was stupid of them," commented Remus.

"Yeah the ministry gives quite a hefty fine to people who apparate without a license," Sirius agreed.

**It's not easy, Apparition, and when it's not done properly it can lead to nasty complications. This pair I'm talking about went and splinched themselves." **

"Ouch!" all four of them said simultaneously.

**Everyone around the table except Harry winced.**

"Harry must not know what that means," Remus mentioned.

**"Er - splinched?" said Harry. **

Remus smiled triumphantly. "See?"

**"They left half of themselves behind," said Mr Weasley, now spooning large amounts of treacle onto his porridge. "So, of course, they were stuck. Couldn't move either way. Had to wait for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to sort them out. Meant a fair old bit of paperwork, I can tell you, what with the Muggles who spotted the body parts they'd left behind ..."**

"Can you imagine how weird it would be if you just saw a bunch of body parts lying around?" asked Sirius sniggering at the thought.

"Now really," huffed Lily. "It's not funny! A muggle could be seriously traumatized if they saw something like that."

**Harry had a sudden vision of a pair of legs and an eyeball lying abandoned on the pavement in Privet Drive.**

"Oh Well if they want to do it there it doesn't really matter. It would serve Petunia right for starving my son," said Lily narrowing her eyes at the book.

**"Were they OK?" he asked, startled.**

"Don't worry they would have been fine," said Sirius dismissively.

**"Oh yes," said Mr Weasley matter-of-factly. "But they got a heavy fine, and I don't think they'll be trying it again in a hurry. You don't mess around with Apparition. There are plenty of adult wizards who don't bother with it. Prefer brooms - slower, but safer." **

"Not to mention a whole lot more fun!" exclaimed James.

"Yes, dear, but we already _do_ know that," said Lily in an exasperated voice.

**"But Bill and Charlie and Percy can all do it?"**

"Well obviously they can or they would be downstairs with you guys," said Remus logically.

**"Charlie had to take the test twice," said Fred, grinning. "He failed first time, Apparated five miles south of where he meant to, right on top of some poor old dear doing her shopping, remember?"**

They all burst out laughing at the thought.

"That's sort of what Padfoot did, remember?" asked James, grinning.

"Yeah, didn't you Apparate on top of your examiner?" asked Remus who was also grinning.

"Well, they _did_ say to Apparate to where the examiner _was_," shrugged Sirius, dismissively, also snickering at the thought.

**"Yes, well, he passed second time," said Mrs Weasley, marching back into the kitchen amid hearty sniggers.**

**"Percy only passed two weeks ago," said George. "He's been Apparating downstairs every morning since, just to prove he can."**

"I _really _don't like him," said Sirius.

"He is quite the show-off, isn't he?" said Remus.

**There were footsteps down the passageway and Hermione and Ginny came into the kitchen, both looking pale and drowsy.**

"Ha, see it's not just the men that are tired!" said James triumphantly.

"Yes, dear," said Lily, rolling her eyes at him.

**"Why do we have to get up so early?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes and sitting down at the table. **

**"We've got a bit of a walk," said Mr Weasley. **

"Walk?" asked James startled. "Where are they walking to?"

"Probably the Portkey," Lily suggested.

**"Walk?" said Harry. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?" **

Sirius snorted and James conjured a Pillow which he threw at his best friend for teasing his son.

**"No, no, that's miles away," said Mr Weasley, smiling. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. **

"We know that so just tell him about the Portkey!" said Sirius impatiently.

**We have to be very careful about how we ravel at times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup -" **

**"George!" said Mr Weasley sharply, and they all jumped. **

"Uh oh," said both Sirius and James together.

Remus looked sympathetic as he said, "They must be in trouble for something again."

"You guys would know too wouldn't you?" muttered Lily under her breath

**"What?" said George, in an innocent tone that deceived nobody. **

"It wouldn't!"

"**What is that in your pocket?" **

**"Nothing!" **

"He should have confessed," said James shaking his head. "It's pretty obvious that she knows some things up."

**"Don't lie to me!" **

**Mrs Weasley pointed her wand at George's pocket and said, "Accio!" **

The boys all winced and Sirius shook his head saying, "That's gotta suck."

**Several small, brightly coloured objects zoomed out of George's pocket; he made a grab for them but missed, and they sped right into Mrs Weasley's outstretched hand. **

"They must have tried to take the ton-tongue toffees!" Sirius exclaimed.

Remus shook his head and remarked, "Well, that was definitely brave of them."

"Their mum's going to be furious though," remarked Lily, frowning.

**"We told you to destroy them!" said Mrs Weasley furiously, holding up what were unmistakably more Ton-Tongue Toffees. **

"Knew it!" they all said simultaneously.

**"We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!" **

"Ouch!" said James shaking his head and wincing.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, also wincing.

**It was a very unpleasant scene; the twins had evidently been trying to smuggle as many toffees out of the house as possible, **

"I swear those two remind me of you guys," said Lily shaking her head. "I wonder how Mrs Weasley puts up with it.

**and it was only by using her Summoning Charm that Mrs Weasley managed to find them all. **

"I hate it when mothers do that!" James grumbled.

"Uh-huh," agreed Sirius with a pout.

**"Accio! Accio! Accio!" she shouted, and toffees zoomed from all sorts of unlikely places, including the lining of George's jacket and the turn-ups of Fred's jeans. **

Remus chuckled at that one while James said, "I can't believe we never thought of that!"

Sirius agreed and said, "Think how many more pranks we could have smuggled around if we had thought of that."

**"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother, as she threw the toffees away. **

"That would suck," said Remus sympathetically.

"I'm actually surprised that their mother is making them throw out all their hard work," said Lily.

**"Oh, a fine way to spend six months!" she shrieked. "No wonder you didn't get more ****O.****!" **

"There's your answer Lily," said James "She wanted their hard work to go into their OWLs not their jokes."

Lily frowned, "Still."

**All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as they made their departure. Mrs Weasley was still glowering as she kissed Mr Weasley on the cheek, though not nearly as much as the twins, who had each hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked out without a word to her. **

"I was mad at my mother when she did that as well," said James scowling as he remembered the time in question.

**"Well, have a lovely time," said Mrs Weasley, "and behave yourselves," she called after the twins' retreating backs, **

"They won't answer her," said Remus knowingly.

"No way," agreed Sirius.

**but they did not look back or answer. **

"See!" said Remus, laughter apparent in his voice.

**"I'll send Bill, Charlie and Percy along around midday," Mrs Weasley said to Mr Weasley, as he, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny set off across the dark yard after Fred and George. **

"It's still dark?" asked James incredulously.

Sirius also looked shocked. "Why do they have to get up _that _early?"

"Obviously that's when the Portkey is supposed to leave," said Lily with an air of 'knowingness' about her.

**It was chilly and the moon was still out. **

"THE MOON IS STILL OUT?" shouted Sirius incredulously.

"My baby needs a good night's sleep!" Lily exclaimed.

"What kind of nutters would set up a portkey to taken off that early?" cried James.

**Only a dull, greenish tinge along the horizon to their right showed that daybreak was drawing closer. Harry, having been thinking about thousands of wizards speeding towards the Quidditch World Cup, **

"Oh, that's right. Harry still doesn't know about the portkey," Remus remembered.

"Oh no, we're gonna have to listen to the speech again," said Sirius grouchily.

**sped up to walk with Mr Weasley. **

**"So how does everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" he asked. **

"Portkeys!" the four friends exclaimed.

**"It's been a massive organisational problem," sighed Mr Weasley. "The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up to the World Cup, and of course we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accomodate them all. **

"It would take a lot of work, wouldn't it?" said James.

"That must be why England doesn't Host the Cup that often especially now with the war and all," said Lily thoughtfully.

**There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. **

"It would be quite uncomfortable," Remus mentioned dryly.

**So we had to find a nice deserted moor, and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months. Firstly, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. **

"That's quite a good idea actually," said Lily.

**A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up the their buses and trains - remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point. For those who don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys. They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed." **

James whistled, "Two hundred Portkeys. That must have taken them ages to set up."

"And then there are more in other countries," added Sirius.

**Mr Weasley pointed ahead of them, where a large black mass rose beyond the village of Ottery St Catchpole. **

**"What sort of objects are Portkeys?" said Harry curiously. **

"Does it matter what objects you make it into a Portkey?" asked Lily curiously.

"No, that's why they're used so often," Remus answered. "They can be anything."

**"Well, they can be anything," said Mr Weasley. "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them ... stuff they'll just think is litter..." **

Lily raised an eyebrow. "And what if they try to chuck it out?"

**They trudged down the dark, dank lane towards the village, the silence broken only by their footsteps. The sky lightened very slowly as they made their way through the village, its inky blackness diluting to deepest blue. Harry's hands and feet were freezing.**

"Oh, no sweetie!" Lily said in a concerned voice. "You should have put on extra socks!" She turned to her husband, eyes wide. "Oh dear, I hope Harry doesn't get sick!"

"Don't worry Lily, I'm sure Harry will be fine," said James soothingly, putting an arm around Lily, as Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes.

**Mr Weasley kept checking his watch. **

**They didn't have breath to spare for talking as they began to climb Stoatshead Hill, stumbling occasionally in hidden rabbit holes, slipping on thick black tuffets of grass. Each breath Harry took was sharp in his chest, and his legs were starting to seize up when at last his feet found level ground. **

"Oh my poor baby!" moaned Lily.

Once again, none of the three maudrauders thought it a good idea to tell her that Harry wouldn't hear her.

**"Whew," panted Mr Weasley, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his sweater. "Well, we've made good time - we've got ten minutes..." **

**Hermione came over the crest of the hill last, clutching a stitch in her side. **

"Poor guys," said Sirius sympathetically.

**"Now we just need the Portkey," said Mr Weasley, replacing his glasses and squinting around at the ground. "It won't be big... come on..." **

**They spread out, searching. They had only been at it for a couple of minutes, however, when a shout rented the still air. **

**"Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it!" **

"Must be another group of wizards going to the cup," said James.

**Two tall figures were silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.**

**"Amos!" said Mr Weasley, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted. The rest of them followed.**

"Must be friends of his," observed Lily.

**Mr Weasley was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a mouldy-looking old boot in his other hand. **

"The boot must be the Portkey," said Sirius.

"State the obvious, why don't you?" asked Remus sarcastically.

**"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," said Mr Weasley. "Works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. **

Remus scowled at the mention of _that_ department.

**And I think you know his son, Cedric?" **

**Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen. He was captain and Seeker of Hufflepuff house Quidditch team at Hogwarts. **

"Wonder if he's any good," said James.

**"Hi," said Cedric, looking around at them all.**

**Everybody said "Hi" back except Fred and George, who merely nodded. **

"Are they still mad at Mrs Weasley?" Lily asked curiously.

**They had never quite forgotten Cedric for beating their team, Gryffindor, in the first Quidditch match of the previous year. **

"That'd be why," said Lily under her breath.

"I don't like him," said James at once.

"Of course you don't," said Lily rolling her eyes.

**"Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked. **

**"Not too bad," said Mr Weasley. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?" **

"You call having to get up that hill, not bad?" asked Sirius incredulously. "In case you hadn't noticed, all of the kids are exhausted!"

"And they should stop chatting and get somewhere warm before Harry catches a cold," said Lily fussingly.

**"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? **

"Two?" asked Sirius faintly. "_Two?"_

"Does such a time exist?" asked James, rather seriously.

**I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still ..not complaining... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons - and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy..." Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around all three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione and Ginny. "All these yours, Arthur?"**

"Do they all look like his?" asked James sarcastically.

"Don't be rude James," said Lily absentmindedly.

**"Oh, no, only the redheads," said Mr Weasley, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's - and Harry, another friend -" **

**"Merlin's beard," said Amos Diggory, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry Potter?" **

"Wait… how does he know Harry?" asked Sirius curiously.

"I was thinking about this before, but that just gave me some proof," said Remus. "I mean, think about it. Harry defeated Voldemort when he was only a year old. There's no way that he wouldn't have become famous for it,"

"I didn't think of that," said James, furrowing his eyebrows.

**"Er - yeah," said Harry. **

**Harry was used to people looking curiously at him when they met him, used to the way their eyes moved at once to the lightening scar on his forehead, **

"See? And everyone knows that's the mark he got that night," Remus added.

"It would probably make Harry uncomfortable though," Lily said.

**but it always made him feel uncomfortable. **

"Looks like Harry doesn't like the attention," said Lily, looking slightly pleased at this fact.

"Definitely not like his father in that respect than," said Remus laughing along with Sirius. James scowled good-naturedly.

**"Ced's talked about you, of course," said Amos Diggory. "Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will ... you beat Harry Potter!" **

"Amos is a bit rude, isn't he?" said Lily. James nodded vehemently, definitely not happy that Amos was making a big deal out of something that Harry probably didn't want to talk about.

**Harry couldn't think of a reply to this, so he remained silent. **

"What would you reply to that?" added Remus, slightly annoyed.

**Fred and George were both scowling again. Cedric looked slightly embarrassed. **

"Well, at least this Cedric fellow seems better than his father," said James approvingly.

"Yes, seems to be a bit better at sportsmanship," Sirius agreed.

**"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he muttered. "I told you... there were Dementors… **

The blood in all of their faces washed out in horror.

"What on Earth were Dementors doing at Hogwarts?" asked Lily in a voice of forced calm.

"I don't know, but Albus had better have had a damn good reason for letting them endanger my son," said James in a cold voice.

**it was an accident..." **

**"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman ... but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? **

"How rude!" Lily was now sounding furious. "How can he say that?"

**One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need a genius to tell which one's the better flier!" **

"Well, I don't know, maybe Harry might be a bit more susceptible to Dementors," said Remus sarcastically.

By now Amos Diggory was in the bad books of all four people in the room. Not a good place to be.

**"Must be nearly time," said Mr Weasley quickly, pulling out his watch again. **

"Thank you Arthur, change the subject," coaxed Lily, her eyes still glinting with anger.

**"Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?" **

**"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," said Mr Diggory. "There aren't any more of us in the area, are there?" **

**"Not that I know of," said Mr Weasley. "Yes, it's a minute off... we'd better get ready..." **

"Yeah, hurry up, you don't want to miss your ride!" said James, once again sounding enthusiastic.

**He looked round at Harry and Hermione. "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do -" With difficulty, owing to the bulky backpacks, the nine of them crowded around the old boot held out by Amos Diggory. **

"They probably should have made a larger Portkey," said Remus, shaking his head.

**They all stood there in a tight circle, as a chill breeze swept over the hilltop. Nobody spoke. It suddenly occured to Harry how odd this would look if a Muggle were to walk up here now... **

"It really _would_ look odd, wouldn't it?" remarked Lily, laughing at the thought.

**nine people, two grown men, clutching a manky old boot in the semi-darkness, waiting... "Three ..." muttered Mr Weasley, one eye still on his watch, "two...one..." **

**It happened immediately: Harry felt as though a hook just behind his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forwards. **

"I hate Portkey travel, it makes me feel sick," said Remus shuddering.

**His feet had left the ground; he could feel Ron and Hermione on either side of him, their shoulders banging into his; they were speeding forwards in a howl of wind and swirling colour; his forefinger was stuck to the boot as though it was pulling him magnetically onwards and then - **

**His feet slammed onto the ground; Ron staggered into him and he fell over; **

"Ouch, that's gonna hurt," said James wincing.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed.

**the Portkey hit the ground near his head with a heavy thud. **

**Harry looked up. Mr Weasley, Mr Diggory and Cedric were still standing, though looking very windswept; everybody else was on the ground.**

"Do you guys know how to stay standing after a Portkey?" asked Lily curiously.

"It just takes experience," said Sirius. "And very good balance."

**"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," said a voice. **

"Seven past five?" said James and Sirius together.

"No wonder they were tired if they got up at that hour!"

"Poor guys," said Remus sympathetically.

Then Remus held up the book and asked, "Who wants to read next?"

"I will," Lily volunteered and took the book from Remus.

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_More marauder dialogue in this chapter, but don't worry Lily will be having quite a lot of lines when Harry starts with the dangerous stuff. I can tell you now I'm looking forward to writing that! Oh, and the 'Padfoot Returns' chapter… that's gonna be fun!_


	7. Bagman & Crouch

_ITs Christmas Eve down here in Australia and I give you this long chapter as a present. :) Enjoy guys!_

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**CHAPTER SEVEN **

**BAGMAN AND CROUCH **

"An entire chapter to Bagman and Crouch?" asked Remus, sounding quite surprised.

Lily on the other hand, was looking quite a bit happier. "Maybe we'll find out why Crouch never made Minister!" she exclaimed.

It was a known fact that Lily Potter nee Evans hated mysteries. Knowledge was a great help in so many situations, and ever since a young age she had always strived to know everything she could.

Unfortunately this book was testing her patience with all the mysteries it had revealed. So Lily read on, hoping that she would FINALLY find out why Bartemius Crouch, who was such a shoe-in for minister, never did win the elections.

**Harry disentangled himself from Ron and got to his feet. They had arrived on what appeared to be a deserted stretch of misty moor. In front of them was a pair of tired and grumpy-looking wizards, **

"Not surprising, after all, who in their right mind would set a portkey to go at five in the morning?" said Sirius rolling his eyes.

"Quidditch!" was all James had to say.

"Yes, but how is Harry going to _enjoy _the match if he's about to fall asleep?" Remus pointed out logically, and then started laughing at the look of horror on James' face.

Lily looked impressed. The only way she ever managed to get James to shut up when he didn't want to was a silencing charm. Or threatening to make him sleep on the couch.

**One of whom was holding a large gold watch, the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill. Both were dressed as Muggles, **

"Oh, maybe these guys will be dressed less expertly than Arthur!" exclaimed Sirius.

Even Remus had to admit that he was looking forward to this. He wasn't a marauder for nothing after all.

**though very inexpertly; **

"Yes!" whooped Sirius.

Remus rolled his eyes tolerantly, though he was smiling.

**The man with the watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes; his colleague, a kilt and a poncho. **

"That's… nice" said Lily with a raised eyebrow.

The other marauders didn't even bother to answer. They had already started laughing.

**"Morning, Basil," said Mr Weasley, picking up the boot and handing it to the kilted wizard, who threw it into a large box of used Portkeys beside him; Harry could see an old newspaper, and empty drinks can and a punctured football.**

"Geez, I wonder how long they've been there?" Remus wondered shaking his head.

Even if he was the 'morning person' of the marauders, he would never want to stay up all night, especially not for something as boring as checking portkeys.

**"Hello there, Arthur," said Basil wearily. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some... we've been here all night... **

"I really do pity them," said Lily sympathetically.

James agreed, "Yeah, you would think that they would be able to get shifts or something."

**You'd better get out of the way; we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite... Weasley... Weasley..." **

"Yes, we've surmised that his last name is Weasley, now if you wouldn't mind telling him where there campsite is!" exclaimed Sirius impatiently.

"Padfoot, you really need to learn patience," said Remus amusedly.

**He consulted his parchment list. "About a quarter of a mile's walk**

"More walking?" groaned Sirius incredulously.

"It does seem to be a bit much," Lily agreed. James said nothing, not wanting to admit that they were right especially not about Quidditch. It was bad enough the time in sixth year when his McGonagall had threatened to strip him of his Quidditch privileges.

She had, of course been joking, but James had taken her quite seriously, and had had to endure months of taunting after this event for publicly humiliating himself.

**over there, first field you come to. Site managers called Mr Roberts. Diggory...second field... ask for Mr Payne."**

**"Thanks, Basil," said Mr Weasley, and he beckoned everyone to follow him. **

**They set off across the deserted moor, unable to make out much through the mist. After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view. Beyond it, Harry could just make out the ghostly shapes of hundreds and hundreds of tents, rising up the gentle slope of a large field towards a dark wood on the horizon. They said goodbye to the Diggorys, and approached the cottage door. **

"Oh dear, I hope that Arthur knows about Muggle currency," said Lily sounding slightly worried.

**A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents. Harry knew at a glance that this was the only real Muggle for several acres.**

"Probably the only one that doesn't look completely ridiculous!" said James, snickering.

"Don't be cruel James," Lily admonished, though her lips were twitching.

"Its not being cruel, its telling the truth," James corrected her.

**When he heard footsteps, he turned his head to look at them. **

**"Morning!" said Mr Weasley brightly. **

**"Morning," said the Muggle. **

**"Would you be Mr Roberts?" **

**"Aye, I would," said Mr Roberts. "And who're you?"**

"Well, you don't have to be rude!" huffed Lily. James and Sirius glanced at each other and shook their heads bewilderingly. They would never understand women.

**"Weasley - two tents, booked a couple of days ago?" **

**"Aye," said Mr Roberts, consulting a list tacked to the door. "You've got a space up by the Wood there. Just the one night?" **

"No! Well, maybe not! After all what if the match lasts longer!" exclaimed James vehemently.

"Relax James, I'm sure that the ministry have it all sorted out," said Lily, rolling her eyes.

**"That's it," said Mr Weasley. **

**"You'll be paying now, then?" said Mr Roberts. **

**"Ah - right - certainly -" said Mr Weasley. **

Sirius snorted, "Sounds like Mr Weasley doesn't know muggle currency!"

"I hope he won't get to suspicious," said Lily, slightly worried.

**He retreated a short distance from the cottage and beckoned Harry towards him. "Help me, Harry," he muttered, pulling a roll of Muggle money from his pocket and starting to peel the notes apart. "This one's a - a - a ten? Ah yes, I can see the little number on it now ... so this is a five?" **

"I honestly don't get why wizards don't understand muggle money!" said Lily sighing.

"It's complicated," Sirius defended, obviously remembering the time that he had made an utter fool of himself when they went camping and he had had no clue as to how to pay.

"But it's a lot simpler than wizard gold!" Lily exclaimed. "I mean, they have the amounts in the corner!"

**"A twenty," Harry corrected him in an undertone, uncomfortably aware of Mr Roberts trying to catch every word. **

"Well, isn't he nosy?" said Remus dryly.

**"Ah yes, so it is ... I don't know, these little bits of paper ..." **

"Exactly!" exclaimed Sirius huffily. James looked sympathetic, also having humiliated himself with muggle currency on several occasions. To this day, he swore Lily insisted on the muggle brands of biscuits just so she could see him make a fool out of himself.

Remus, having taken Muggle Studies and knowing how to use muggle currency, just rolled his eyes, as did Lily.

**"You foreign?" said Mr Roberts, as Mr Weasley returned with the correct notes. **

**"Foreign?" repeated Mr Weasley, puzzled. **

"Don't wizards use the term foreign?" asked Lily, surprised.

"Well, it depends I suppose," Remus answered.

**"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr Roberts, scrutinizing Mr Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago." **

They all laughed though Lily added disapprovingly, "Really, you'd think that they would know better!"

Though she hadn't meant for anyone to answer her, Sirius did, "They're probably pure-bloods that don't have a clue that muggles even have their own money!"

**"Did you really?" said Mr Weasley nervously. **

**Mr Roberts rummaged around in his tin for some change. **

**"Never been this crowded," he said suddenly, looking out over the misty fields again. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up..."**

"I suppose it would seem a bit odd," Remus conceded.

"He seems to be quite perceptive," James commented.

"An Aurors nightmare," said Sirius dryly, "Especially on assignments like these."

**"Is that right?" said Mr Weasley, his hand held out for his change, but Mr Roberts didn't give it to him. **

**"Aye," he said thoughtfully. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdoes, you know?** **There's a bloke walking round in a kilt and a poncho." **

**"Shouldn't he?" said Mr Weasley anxiously.**

"Well, no he shouldn't," Lily admitted with a laugh.

"Yeah, but surely he must get – what did he call them? – weirdoes, quite a lot," said James.

"Well, no I somehow doubt it," Remus reasoned logically. "The campsite is at a practically deserted fairground, so he would probably rarely get any visitors, let alone 'weirdoes'."

**"It's like some sort of ... I dunno ... like some sort of rally," said Mr Roberts. "They all seem to know each other. Like a big party." **

"You know, I never really realized how suspicious it would look for muggles," said James thoughtfully.

**At that moment, a wizard in plus-fours appeared out of thin air next to Mr Roberts's front door.**

**"Obliviate!" he said sharply, pointing his wand at Mr Roberts. **

**Instantly, Mr Roberts's eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknotted, and a look of dreamy unconcern fell over his face. Harry recognized the symptoms of one who had just had his memory modified. **

"And just how do you know these symptoms," asked Lily sternly with her eyes narrowed.

"I'm sure it's nothing important, Lily," said James, though inwardly he was thinking, _At least I hope not!_

**"A map of the campsite for you," Mr Roberts said placidly to Mr Weasley. "And your change." **

**"Thanks very much," said Mr Weasley. **

**The wizard in plus-fours accompanied them towards the gate to the campsite. He looked exhausted; his chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes. **

"I swear they're nuts!" Sirius complained. "I mean, you'd think that the ministry would be smart enough to give the people shifts, so that they're not practically falling asleep on the job."

"Yeah, and besides how are they supposed to enjoy the cup if they're so exhausted!" James added.

Lily groaned and muttered to herself, "Always back to that damned sport!"

**Once out of earshot of Mr Roberts, he muttered to Mr Weasley, "Been having a lot of trouble with him. Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security. **

"Ok, I know Bagman's supposed to be some famous Quidditch player, but he seems a bit… I don't know thick?" said Lily.

"He's a great Quidditch player though. And he's probably just excited," James responded, though he sounded slightly unsure of himself.

**Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur." **

"Glad?" asked James incredulously. "How could he be _glad?"_

"Simple," Lily answered. "He's sane."

**He Disapparated. **

**"I thought Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports?" said Ginny, looking surprised. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"**

"That's what I thought," agreed Lily.

**"He should," said Mr Weasley, smiling, and leading them through the gates into the campsite, "but Ludo's always been a bit ... well ... lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic Head of the Sports Department, though. **

"I bet you couldn't," Remus said. "Bagman loves Quidditch, and if he couldn't play himself, I don't see him taking on any other job."

"I think it's a brilliant idea, what better person to be the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports than a former Quidditch player," said Sirius.

"As much as I agree with your points, he could still be a little more conscious about security," Lily said firmly, ever the responsible Head Girl.

**He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had." **

"I don't know whether I should be pleased or upset about that fact," said James frowning.

"And why would you be upset?" asked Lily, rolling her eyes.

"Because if he was the best than that means that the ones _after _him weren't very good which means that the Wimbourne Wasps must not be very good any more!" James explained to her.

Lily just looked at him disbelievingly and rolled her eyes, as did Remus. Sirius on the other hand, agreed with James and was nodding vehemently.

**They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most of them looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bell-pulls, or weather-vanes. **

"How did they slip up?" asked Sirius curiously. "Don't muggles have that stuff then?"

"Of course not!" said Remus in an amused tone. "I'm sure if you ask Lily, she would say that she had no clue that you _could _do that kind of stuff to tents!"

Sirius turned to Lily who answered before he could say anything, "Remus is right, I had no clue you could add that kind of stuff to tents. It's pretty cool actually."

"Which brings me to the most asked question in the magical world – how on earth do muggles survive without magic?" James asked jokingly.

**However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr Roberts was getting suspicious. **

"I'm surprised the ministry hasn't put a stop to it yet," said Remus laughingly.

"Yeah, like that time Albus organized a small post-graduation get together for our year and Dedalus Diggle made his tent shoot fireworks, shooting stars and for some odd reason chickens out every two minutes!" James added, laughing at the mere memory. Diggle had received quite a hefty fine.

**Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. **

"All right, what is it with wizards and live animals?" asked Lily exasperatedly. "I mean, first chickens and now peacocks? And why on earth would someone take peacocks to the World Cup?"

She got no answer, for the boys were far too busy laughing.

**A little further on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent which had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial and fountain. **

"All right, this is getting absolutely ridiculous!" Lily exclaimed.

"Whoa, calm down Lils, trust me, it's just a bunch of pure bloods trying to show off," Sirius answered her confidently. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if one of those belonged to my family!"

"Ah, Sirius, your family might be dead in the future," said Remus cautiously, throwing a sympathetic look at Lily and James when they flinched at the word 'dead'.

Sirius, who had also cringed at the 'd' word, was looking quite a bit happier at the thought that his good for nothing family was no longer around.

**"Always the same," said Mr Weasley, smiling, "we can't resist showing off when we get together. **

"See, I told you Lily!" said Sirius cheerfully, obviously trying to take his friends minds off their imminent death. _No, _he thought determinedly, _it's not imminent, we'll find some way to stop it. I am NOT going to let my best friend die!_

Lily nodded slightly shakily, sitting against James for comfort as she continued to read.

**Ah, here we are, look, this is us." **

**They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field, and here was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read "Weezly".**

"I thought muggles could spell," James said, looking at Lily with a raised eyebrow.

"They can, Mr Roberts must have just spelled it like he had said it," Lily answered, cracking a smile.

**"Couldn't have a better spot!" said Mr Weasley happily. "The pitch is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be." **

"Really?!" asked James excitedly, his face lighting up at the sound of his favourite sport.

Lily opened her mouth to rebuke him but closed it at the pain she saw in his eyes. James absolutely loved Quidditch, and from the day that Harry was born he had been looking forward to teaching him to fly and taking him to all of the professional games. But now his son was going to his first ever professional game (thirteen years in the future, but that was beside the point) and it would be without him. He wouldn't be able to stay up all night, discussing tactics with Harry or any of the other things he had been planning to do.

His only consolation was that at least he was able to read about what it would be like.

**He hoisted his backpack from his shoulders. "Right," he said excitedly, "no magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult ... Muggles do it all the time ... here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?" **

"Why doesn't he ask Hermione, isn't she a muggle born?" asked Sirius curiously. He only got a few shrugs in response.

**Harry had never been camping in his life; **

"I do not like where this is going," said James, narrowing his eyes.

**The Dursleys had never taken him on any kind of holiday, preferring to leave him with Mrs Figg, an old neighbour. **

Lily stopped reading and looked up with a deadly glint in her eyes. "Sirius," she asked in a deathly sweet tone.

"Yes Lily?" asked Sirius in a slightly vindictive tone.

"I don't suppose you would be willing to give me a list of… pranks for me to play on my dear, _wonderful _sister?" she asked, still in a sweet tone, though this time there was a hint of steel behind it.

"How bad?" asked Remus, his eyes nearly completely amber, a feat that did not happen often, no matter how close to the full moon.

"The worst," said Lily, abandoning her sweet tone. "Anybody that neglects my baby deserves to pay."

"Done," said James, looking forward to the prankishment of the people that made his sons life hell.

**However, he and Hermione worked out where most of the poles and pegs should go, and though Mr Weasley was more a hindrance then a help, because he got thoroughly over-excited when it came to using a mallet, they finally managed to erect a pair of shabby two-man tents. **

"Mr Weasley really does love muggles doesn't he?" said Remus with a laugh, his eyes beginning to return to their normal warm brown when he saw the list that Sirius and James had managed to make up. And it had only been a minute.

Sirius looked up from where he had been scribbling to say, "Well, good on him, I say! There ought to be more people interested in muggles, and I don't mean killing them."

"Yes, muggle relations had really gone down since Voldemort's rise to power," mentioned Lily.

**All of them stood back to admire their handiwork. Nobody looking at these tents would guess they belonged to wizards, Harry thought, but the trouble was that once Bill, Charlie and Percy arrived, they would be a party of ten. Hermione seemed to have spotted this problem, too; she gave Harry a quizzical look as Mr Weasley dropped to his hands and knees and entered the first tent. **

"Don't worry Harry, they'll be magically enhanced," said James to the book, studiously ignoring the fact that Harry would not be able to hear him. He had always wanted to see the look on Harry's face when he saw some brand new magical thing.

Lily was smiling wistfully; she could just imagine the look on her grown sons face…

**"We'll be a bit cramped," he called, "but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look." **

**Harry bent down, ducked under the tent flap, and felt his jaw drop. **

They all smiled, wishing that they could be there, but happy that at the very least they could hear about it.

**He had walked into what looked like an old-fashioned, three-roomed flat, complete with bathroom and kitchen. Oddly enough, it was furnished in exactly the same sort of style as Mrs Figg's; there were crocheted covers on the mismatched chairs, and a strong smell of cats. **

"Urgh, cats," said Sirius, scrunching his face up.

"You know, I never did get why you hate cats so much," said Lily, looking at him suspiciously.

"Err, well, I'm just more of a dog person," said Sirius, trading a look with Remus and James.

"Yeah…" said Lily, still suspicious. When Lily had bent her head back down to the book, Sirius traded a look with James that quite clearly said, _'You need to tell her about us being animagi!'_

**"Well, it's not for long," said Mr Weasley, mopping his bald patch with a handkerchief and peering in at the four bunk beds that stood in the bedroom. "I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much any more, poor fellow, he's got lumbago." **

**He picked up the dusty kettle and peered inside it. "We'll need water ..." **

**"There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us," said Ron, who had followed Harry inside the tent, and seemed completely unimpressed by its extraordinary inner proportions. **

"You know, I don't know what's better, to be a muggle-born and get surprised and excited when you see something so extraordinary, or to be raised in a wizard family and grow up with it all," said Lily thoughtfully.

"I suppose they both have their good and bad sides," answered Remus. "But pure-blood, half-blood or muggle-born, they all the best experience when they see Hogwarts for the first time at eleven."

"But don't some kids see it before that?" asked James curiously. "I remember my dad taking me up here once, years ago."

"Yeah, but I meant at night, when it's all lit up and you sail across the lake," Remus answered. "It's supposed to be the best experience of going to Hogwarts."

"It is," Lily agreed. "I thought it looked like a fairy tale castle the first time I saw it."

**"It's on the other side of the field." **

**"Well, why don't you, Harry and Hermione go and get us some water, then -" Mr Weasley handed over the kettle and a couple of saucepans, "- and the rest of us will get some wood for a fire." **

**"But we've got an oven," said Ron, "why can't we just -?" **

"Because you're not supposed to," said Remus amusedly. Ron really did remind him a lot of Sirius.

"Like anyone's gonna notice," James scoffed.

**"Ron, anti-Muggle security!" said Mr Weasley, his face shining with anticipation. "When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors, I've seen them at it!" **

"I should have known that Mr Weasley wanted a 'real' muggle experience," said Lily, laughing.

**After a quick tour of the girls' tent, which was slightly smaller then the boys', though without the smell of cats, **

"Well, why couldn't the boys get it then?" asked Sirius complaining. "Poor Harry, having to live through the smell of cats," he said dramatically. Lily raised her eyebrows as James and Remus rolled their eyes.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione set off across the campsite with the kettle and saucepans. **

**Now, with the sun newly risen and the mist lifting, they could see the city of tents that stretched in every direction. They mad their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around. It was only just dawning on Harry how many witches and wizards there must be in the world; he had never really thought much about those in other countries. **

"There are quite a few of us, aren't there," said Lily. Sirius nodded, wishing he could be there to tease his godson about not thinking about the rest of the Wizarding community.

**Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First to stir were the families with small children; Harry had never seen witches and wizards this young before. A tiny boy, no older then two was crouched outside a large pyramid-shaped tent, holding a wand and poking happily at a slug in the grass, which was swelling slowly to the size of a salami. **

"Oh dear, I hope Harry never does that," said Lily, sounding slightly worried as she glanced at the door that her son was sleeping behind.

"He's the heir of the marauders!" said Sirius enthusiastically, his earlier disappointment forgotten.

"Merlin help me," Lily stated simply, rolling her eyes towards the heavens.

**As they drew level with him, hi mother came hurrying out of the tent. **

**"How many times, Kevin? You don't - touch - Daddy's - wand - yeuch!" **

Lily stopped there for a moment and seemed to be arguing with herself over something. Finally, she conjured a piece of paper and wrote on it; _**"Make sure Harry know not to touch Mummy and Daddy's wands!"**_then put a spell on the piece of paper to come to her a little while after Harry awoke. She then returned reading to the bemused stare of the three marauders.

**She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst. Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy's yells - "You bust slug! You bust slug!" **

The men all burst out laughing while Lily tutted disapprovingly.

**A short way further on, they saw two little witches, barely older than Kevin, who were riding toy broomsticks which rose only high enough for the girls' toes to skim the dewy grass. A Ministry wizard had already spotted them; as he hurried past Harry, Ron and Hermione, he muttered distractedly, "In broad daylight! Parents having a lie-in, I suppose -" **

"Uh, guys, as much as I'd love for Harry to become the next generation of marauders, please, never have a 'lie in'," said Remus cautiously. "Somehow, I'm getting a huge feeling that we're all gonna end up with heart attacks if you do."

"Like we'd let him wander off on his own until he's old enough!" scoffed James. "I do like my heart the way it is, thank you."

"As do I," agreed Lily.

**Here and there adult wizards were emerging from their tents and starting to cook breakfast. Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands; others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn't work.**

"Oh come on!" Lily huffed. "If muggles can stand a lifetime without magic, then I'm sure you can to!"

"Yeah, while muggle methods may not be as effective as magic is, it's still useful in its own way."

**Three African wizards sat in serious conversation, all of them wearing long white robe and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire, while a group of middle-aged American witches sat gossiping happily beneath a spangled banner stretched between their tents which read: The Salem Witches' Institute. Harry caught snatches of conversation in strange languages from the insides of tents they passed, and though he couldn't understand a single word, the tone of every voice was excited.**

"They're at the Quidditch World Cup! Of course they're excited!" James exclaimed, his face lighting up once more.

**"Er - is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" said Ron. **

"The Ireland team colours are green, aren't they?" Lily half asked, half stated.

"Yeah, looks like they've come across some Irish," James agreed.

**It wasn't just Ron's eyes. They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth. Grinning faces could be seen under those which had their flaps open. Then, from behind them, they heard their names. **

**"Harry! Ron! Hermione!" **

"Hey, maybe we'll get to meet another one of Harry's friends," said James, looking slightly excited. Sirius' eyes lit up as well, as did Lily's and Remus'.

**It was Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindor fourth-year. He was sitting in front of his own shamrock-covered tent, with a sandy-haired woman who had to be his mother, and his best friend, Dean Thomas, also of Gryffindor. **

**"Like the decorations?" said Seamus, grinning, when Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone over to say hello. "The Ministry's not too happy." **

"I bet they aren't!" said Remus, laughing.

"Well, why shouldn't they show their support?" asked James.

**"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colours?" said Mrs Finnigan. **

"Exactly," agreed James, nodding.

**"You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?" she added, eyeing Harry, Ron and Hermione beadily. **

"Are they?" Lily asked the others curiously.

"I don't know, but I doubt they'd say anything else, surrounded by that lot!" said Sirius, laughing.

**When they had assured her that they were indeed supporting Ireland, they set off again, though, as Ron said, "Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot."**

**"I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents?" said Hermione.**

"Hey that's a good question," said James. "Go and have a look!"

**"Let's go and have a look," said Harry, pointing to a large patch of tents up field, where the Bulgarian flag, red, green and white, was fluttering in the breeze. **

**The tents here had not been bedecked with plant life, but each and every one of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy black eyebrows. The picture was of course moving, but all it did was blink and scowl. **

"That must be their star player," said Sirius. "He must be really good if they actually made a flag of him."

"He seems very bad-tempered though," Lily mentioned.

"It might just be for show," James argued. "After all, the opposing team isn't exactly going to take him seriously if he's smiling and waving cheerfully in photos!"

"I will never understand men," Lily muttered under her breath.

**"Krum," said Ron quietly. **

**"What?" said Hermione. **

**"Krum!" said Ron. "Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!" **

"I thought he'd be the seeker," said Remus. "Well, Ron seems to like him."

**"He looks really grumpy," said Hermione, looking around the many Krums blinking and scowling at them. **

**"Really grumpy?" Ron raised his eyes to the heavens. "Who cares what he looks like? He's unbelievable. He's really young, too. Only just eighteen or something. **

James whistled and said, "Eighteen… damn that's young. Ron's right, that is really impressive."

**He's a genius, you wait until tonight, you'll see." **

"Yes, well make sure you watch carefully, we wanna know as well!" said Sirius.

**There was already a small queue for the tap at the corner of the field. Harry, Ron and Hermione joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery night-gown. **

They all stared at each other for a long moment before bursting into laughter. _"A nightgown," _Sirius gasped out in between laughs.

"And I thought some of the other outfits were bad!" said Lily.

**The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation. **

"Looks like Mr Flowery Nightgown is being quite stubborn," said Sirius gleefully.

**"Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap, you can't walk around like that, the Muggle on the gate's already getting suspicious -" **

"I bet he is!" said James, still going into fits of laughter occasionally.

**"I bought this in a Muggle shop," said the old wizard stubbornly. "Muggles wear them." **

"Actually, muggle _girls _wear them," said Lily, giggling.

**"Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these," said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers. **

"Well, maybe not pinstripes, but they definitely war pants and not dresses!" Lily exclaimed.

**"I'm not putting them on," said old Archie in indignation. "I like a healthy breeze round my privates, thanks."**

They all burst out laughing once more. "Oh, this is a classic!" Sirius managed to wheeze out.

It was several minutes before everyone had calmed down enough for Lily to continue reading.

**Hermione was overcome with such a strong fit of the giggles at this point that she had to duck out of the queue, and only returned when Archie had collected his water and moved away again. **

"Smart choice Hermione," said Lily, chortling.

**Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there they saw more familiar faces: other Hogwarts students with their families. Oliver Wood, the old captain of Harry's house Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, dragged Harry over to his parents' tent to be introduced, **

"Ha, looks like Harry is a very valuable player," said James proudly. Sirius nodded, also with a proud glint in his eyes. Even Remus looked proud, even though he wasn't quite as passionate about Quidditch as the other two.

**and told him excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team. **

"That's actually pretty good for someone only a year out of Hogwarts," said James. "With him as captain, and of course Harry on the team, they must have had a pretty damn good team."

**Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff fourth-year, and a little further on they saw Cho Chang, a very pretty girl who played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team. **

"Pretty, did he say?" said Sirius, sitting up interestedly. The other three also seemed to be paying extra special attention as Lily continued.

**She waved and smiled at Harry, who slopped quite a lot of water down his front as he waved back. **

"No Harry, you're supposed to look all suave and ruffle your hair!" said James, though he didn't look at all disappointed. In fact, he seemed quite amused.

"Harry's got his first crush!" said Sirius excitedly.

"Aw, that is so cute!" cooed Lily.

Now James had an evil glint in his eye. "Hey, now that Harry has his first crush, he's gonna need 'the talk'," said James, inwardly grinning.

"I don't like where this is going," said Remus warily.

"You are not giving Harry 'the talk' now!" said Lily sharply. "I will not have you corrupting my son!"

"No way Lily, I wouldn't do that!" James protested. "I just mean, well since Padfoot's the only one currently there…"

Sirius' eyes widened as he realized where James was going with this. "Oh yes, Sirius, you will have to give Harry 'the talk', I mean he does have to know," Lily exclaimed, warming up to the idea.

But then she paused and shook her head. "Wait a second, this is Sirius Black I'm talking about," she murmured and then turned to Remus, "Will you help him? Please?" she half begged him.

Before Remus could point out that he wasn't yet in the book, Lily said, "Great! Thank you so much guys!" and read on, ignoring their protests.

**More to stop Ron smirking than anything, Harry hurriedly pointed out a large group of teenagers whom he had never seen before. **

**"Who d'you reckon they are?" he said. "They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?" **

"They must go to some other school," said James. "Harry must not know that they exist."

**"'Spect they go to some foreign school," said Ron. "I know there are others, never met anyone who went to one though. Bill had a pen-friend at a school in Brazil ... this was years and years ago ... and he wanted to go on an exchange trip but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it. His pen-friend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up." **

"That's just horrible!" said Lily.

"Yeah, it's not Bill's fault that his parents don't have enough money," agreed Sirius.

**Harry laughed, but didn't voice the amazement he felt at hearing about other wizarding schools. He supposed, now he saw representatives of so many nationalities in the campsite, that he had been stupid never to realize that Hogwarts couldn't be the only one. **

"Oh Harry, don't put yourself down," said James reassuringly. "Quite a few people never think about foreign schools."

**He glanced at Hermione, who looked utterly unsurprised by the information. No doubt she had run across the news about other wizarding schools in some book or other. **

"Just like Remus," said Sirius, glancing at his best friend fondly.

**"You've been ages," said George, when they finally got back to the Weasleys' tents. **

**"Met a few people," said Ron, setting the water down. **

"Yeah, like Harry's crush!" said Sirius, sounding excited once more.

"Don't be mean to Harry," James ordered, glancing at the book fondly as though he was looking at his son.

**"You not got the fire started yet?"**

**"Dad's having fun with the matches," said Fred. **

"I bet he is!" said Remus, laughing.

**Mr Weasley was having no success at all in lighting the fire, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Splintered matches littered the ground around him, but he looked as though he was having the time of his life. **

"As Moony said, I bet he is," said James, looking highly amused.

**"Oops!" he said, as he managed to light a match, and promptly dropped it in surprise. **

**"Come here, Mr Weasley," said Hermione kindly, taking the box from him, and starting to show him how to do it properly. **

"That's nice of her," said Lily.

**At last, they got the fire lit, though it was at least another hour before it was hot enough to cook anything. There was plenty to watch while they waited, however. Their tent seemed to be pitched right along a thoroughfare to the pitch, and Ministry members kept hurrying up and down it, greeting Mr Weasley cordially as they passed. Mr Weasley kept up a running commentary, mainly for Harry and Hermione's benefit; his own children knew too much about the Ministry to be greatly interested. **

"Aw, do we have to listen to it?" Sirius whined.

"Sirius Black, you are twenty years old, so can you quit the whining already?" said Lily exasperatedly.

"Fine, fine," Sirius rolled his eyes. He then added politely, "Must we listen to his?"

"Yes," said Lily.

**"That was Cuthbert Mockridge, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office ... here comes Gilbert Wimple, he's with the Committee on Experimental Charms, he's had those horns for a while now ... Hello, Arnie ... Arnold Peasegood, he's an Obliviator - member of the Accidental Magical Reverse Squad, you know ... and that's Bode and Croaker ... they're Unspeakables ..." **

**"They're what?" **

"What are Unspeakables?" asked Lily, looking towards the three marauders.

"They work at the Department of Mysteries," James said.

"Nobody knows what they do, they aren't allowed to talk about it, hence why they are called Unspeakables," Sirius explained in slightly more detail.

**"From the Department of Mysteries, top-secret, no idea what they get up to ..." **

**At last, the fire was ready, and they had just started cooking eggs and sausages when Bill, Charlie and Percy came strolling out of the woods towards them. **

**"Just Apparated, Dad," said Percy loudly. **

"So the law-abiding one is talking about magic in a muggle environment," said James, raising an eyebrow.

"I love the Weasley's, but that kid is seriously a show-off," said Sirius, shaking his head in mild disgust.

**"Ah, excellent, lunch!" **

**They were halfway through their plates of sausages and eggs when Mr Weasley jumped up to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding towards them. "Aha!" he said. "The man of the moment! Ludo!" **

"Harry's gonna meet Ludo Bagman!" exclaimed James.

"This ought to be interesting," said Remus, smiling slightly.

**Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Harry had seen so far, even including old Archie in his flowered nightdress. He was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black. An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest. **

"He wearing his old Quidditch robes?" asked Lily, sounding surprised.

"I suppose it brings back memories for him," Remus answered her.

**He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England. **

"No he definitely doesn't have a belly, but I suppose all those years have made him a little lax," said James.

"Well, after the exhausting training regime he no doubt went through, you can't blame the man for taking it easy," said Remus logically.

**His nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray Bludger, Harry thought), but his round blue eyes, short blond hair and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy. **

**"Ahoy there!" Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the balls of his feet, and was plainly in a state of wild excitement. **

"That's probably what James would be like if he was there!" said Sirius laughingly. James scowled at him playfully, but didn't deny it.

**"Arthur, old man," he puffed, as he reached the campfire, "what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming ... and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements ... not much for me to do!" **

"Why do I doubt that?" asked Lily rhetorically.

**Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire which was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air. **

"I thought so," said Lily, sounding slightly amused.

"Ah, well, everyone has their faults," said Remus knowingly.

**Percy hurried forwards with his hand outstretched. **

"Suck up," said James, rolling his eyes.

**Apparently his disapproval of the way Ludo Bagman ran his department did not prevent him wanting to make a good impression. **

"Like James said, he's a suck-up," said Sirius, looking bored.

**"Ah - yes," said Mr Weasley, grinning, "this is my son, Percy, he's just started at the Ministry - and this is Fred - no, George, sorry - that's Fred - Bill, Charlie, Ron - my daughter, Ginny - and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter." **

**Bagman did the smallest of double-takes when he heard Harry's name, and his eyes performed the familiar flick upwards to the scar on Harry's forehead. **

"Harry must be seriously well-known then," said Lily.

"Considering the fact that he defeated Voldemort as a baby, I wouldn't be surprised if he was more famous than the Minister for Magic," said Remus logically.

"I suppose you have a point," Sirius admitted.

**"Everyone," Mr Weasley continued, "this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is, it's thanks to him we've got such good tickets -" **

**Bagman beamed and waved his hand as if to say it had been nothing. **

"He's either full of himself or very generous," said Lily.

The three marauders had no idea which one, even James was beginning to look unsure about Ludo Bagman.

**"Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" he said eagerly, jingling what seemed to be a large amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow and black robes. **

"Ludo Bagman!" Lily scolded, making the three men jump at how loud her voice was. "You should not bet in front of children! Especially not my child!"

**"I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first - I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years - and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a week-long match." **

"**Oh ... go on, then," said Mr Weasley. "Let's see ... a Galleon on Ireland to win?" **

"See Lily, that's not that bad," said James soothingly to his wife.

Lily nodded, but continued glaring at the book, or, in her mind, Ludo Bagman.

**"A Galleon?" Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself. "Very well, very well ... any other takers?" **

"They had better say no! Especially you, Harry James Potter!" Lily said, firing up again. Sirius, James and Remus looked at each other and prayed that Harry would not place any bets.

**"They're a bit young to be gambling," said Mr Weasley. "Molly wouldn't like -" **

"Neither would Lily," muttered Sirius under his breath, earning a snicker from James and Remus.

**"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts," said Fred, as he and George quickly pooled all their money, **

"Their mother is gonna be furious if she finds out," said James.

"Their risky, aren't they?" said Sirius thoughtfully. "I mean, that would be their entire savings."

"You have to admire them," said Remus. "They know what they want, and they don't mind taking risks to get there."

**"That Ireland win - but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh, and we'll throw in a fake wand." **

"That's a rather dangerous bet," said Lily.

"Yeah, but it's like Remus said, if you want to succeed you need to take risks.

**"You don't want to be showing Mr Bagman rubbish like that -" Percy hissed, but Bagman didn't seem to think that wand was rubbish at all; on the contrary, his boyish face shone with excitement as he took it from Fred, and when the wand gave a loud squawk and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman roared with laughter. **

"Looks like Bagman likes jokes," said James happily, though still feeling a little doubtful about the man.

**"Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!" **

**Percy froze in an attitude of stunned disapproval. "Boys," said Mr Weasley under his breath, "I don't want you betting ... that's all your savings ... your mother -" **

"They ought to listen to their father," said Lily. "I know you said all that stuff about taking risks, but they're still kids."

"If they want to do it, then I think they should," said Remus simply. "After all, not many people have already planned exactly what they want to be at that age."

"Moony does have a point," James said.

**"Don't be such a spoilsport, Arthur!" boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. **

Lily narrowed her eyes at the book and began scolding Bagman once more, "It is their decision, and you shouldn't try and influence them. And you also shouldn't be teaching them that betting is right!" She ranted on for a few more minutes before finally picking up the book and continuing to read.

**"They're old enough to know what they want! **

"Well, that's true," said James fairly, but then cringed at the look he got from his wife.

**You reckon Ireland will win but Krum will get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance ... I'll give you excellent odds on that one ... we'll add five Galleons for the wand, then, shall we..." **

**Mr Weasley looked on helplessly as Ludo Bagman whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down he twins' names. **

"Mr Weasley seems cool," said Sirius.

"You just say that because he's letting the twins getting away with betting," Remus snapped at him.

"And?"

**"Cheers," said George, taking the slip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucking it away into the front of his robes. **

**Bagman turned most cheerfully back to Mr Weasley. "Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. **

Once again, they all sat up interestedly, hoping they would find out what had happened at the last elections.

**My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages." **

"Well, I suppose that might be a reason for him to become the Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation," said Remus, though he sounded doubtful.

**"Mr Crouch?" said Percy, suddenly abandoning his look of poker-stiff disapproval and positively writhing with excitement. **

"He need's to get a life," Lily stated blandly. "What?" she asked when the three men looked at her incredulously, "He does!"

**"He speaks over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll ..." **

"Who can't speak troll," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

**"Anyone can speak Troll," said Fred dismissively, "all you have to do is point and grunt." **

"Exactly my point," agreed Sirius.

**Percy threw Fred an extremely nasty look, and stoked the fire vigorously to bring the kettle back to the boil. **

**"Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?" Mr Weasley asked, as Bagman settled himself down on the grass beside them all. **

Lily began to read slightly slower, hoping to get some kind of clue from the passage she was reading.

**"Not a dicky bird," said Bagman comfortably. "But she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha ... memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. **

"I still say that doesn't sound like Bertha," said Remus thoughtfully.

No, it doesn't," agreed Lily. "Something's up."

**Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office some time in October, thinking its still July." **

"That's not Bertha," James stated simply.

**"You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?" Mr Weasley suggested tentatively, as Percy handed Bagman his tea. **

**"Barty Crouch keeps saying that," said Bagman, his round eyes widening innocently, "but we really can't spare anyone at the moment. Oh - talk of the devil! Barty!" **

"Finally!" exclaimed Lily, her thoughts redirected to the mystery of the upcoming elections.

**A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old Wasp robes. **

"Have you ever met Crouch?" Lily asked James and Sirius curiously.

"I've seen him from afar but never actually talked to him," answered James.

Sirius nodded his agreement and also added, "All I know about him is that he's very strict about the rules."

**Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie. The parting in his short grey hair was almost unnaturally straight and his narrow toothbrush moustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide-rule. **

"In other words he sounds incredibly boring," said Sirius, settling back down on the couch.

"Perfect match for Percy then!" cracked James, making both him and Sirius snigger and Lily to roll her eyes.

**His shoes were very highly polished. Harry could see at once why Percy idolized him. Percy was a great believer in rigidly following rules, and Mr Crouch had complied with the rule about Muggle dressing so thoroughly that he could have passed as a bank manager; Harry doubted even Uncle Vernon would have spotted him for what he really was. **

"Now _that _might be an idea," said Sirius thoughtfully as he grabbed a quill and added it to his ever-growing list.

"Just how are you going to put that into an idea?" Remus asked him curiously.

"Oh, I have my ways," Sirius answered him with an evil grin.

**"Pull up a bit of grass, Barty," said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him. **

"Bet you he won't," James said. "He seems like someone who sucks the fun out of things rather than actually having it."

**"No, thank you, Ludo," said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice. **

"Told you!" said James.

**"I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box." **

**"Oh, is that what they're after?" said Bagman. "I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent." **

"A strong enough accent for you to think that they wanted a pair of tweezers instead of more seats?" asked Lily incredulously. "They sound nothing alike!"

**"Mr Crouch!" said Percy breathlessly, sunk into a kind of half bow which made him look like a hunchback. "Would you like a cup of tea?" **

They all snickered, even Lily couldn't resist after Sirius had fake-coughed 'Suck-up.'

**"Oh," said Mr Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. "Yes - thank you, Weatherby." **

James and Sirius immediately started laughing, with Remus following them and then Lily joining in a few seconds after.

"I bet Fred and George are going to have a field day with that one!" James gasped out, holding his sides in laughter.

Sirius only nodded as he howled with laughter.

**Fred and George choked into their own cups. Percy, very pink around the ears, busied himself with the kettle. **

Sirius sniggered again.

**"Oh, and I've been wanting a word with you, too, Arthur," said Mr Crouch, his sharp eyes falling upon Mr Weasley. "Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets." **

"They're illegal aren't they?" Remus asked the room at large.

James nodded, still hiccupping slightly. "Yeah, have been for years. I think Padfoot's granddad had one, didn't they Padfoot?"

"Yeah, but it was years and years ago," Sirius answered. "They're supposed to be better for families because they can seat more people."

James opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Lily cut him off and said, "Before James starts on a three hour long lecture about why brooms are better, let's continue reading." James scowled at her, making her smile back sweetly before continuing.

**Mr Weasley heaved a deep sigh. "I sent him an owl about that just last week. If I've told him once I've told him a hundred times carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?" **

"Huh, I didn't know that," said Lily absently.

"Neither did I, I just knew that they were illegal," Remus said.

**"I doubt it," said Mr Crouch, accepting a cup from Percy. "He's desperate to export here." **

**"Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?" said Bagman. **

"Nah, not a chance," said James. "Especially not since Britain is a completely Quidditch-orientated country."

**"Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle," said Mr Crouch. **

"Well, I suppose that's possible," said Remus, though he sounded doubtful.

"I dunno, a lot of people prefer brooms because they're faster than flying carpets," Sirius said.

**"I remember my grandfather had an Axminster that could seat twelve - but that was before carpets were banned, of course." **

**He spoke as though he wanted to leave nobody in any doubt that all his ancestors had abided strictly by the law. **

"I seriously don't like him," said James, rolling his eyes.

"And what's wrong with wanting to follow the rules?" Lily asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing, but what's the point in life if you can't have a little fun?" James countered her.

"Point," said Lily, nodding in agreement.

**"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" said Bagman breezily. **

**"Fairly," said Mr Crouch dryly. "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo." **

"Why didn't he just ask for help?" Remus asked.

**"I expect you'll both be glad when this is all over?" said Mr Weasley. **

"Crouch probably will, but I bet Bagman won't!" said James, cracking a smile.

**Ludo Bagman looked shocked. "Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun ... still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?" **

"Is this what Percy was talking about before?" asked Lily interestedly.

"Huh, looks like it's not an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons after all," said James, also with interest.

"Yeah, there's no way that Bagman would be interested in something as mundane as that," Sirius said in agreement.

**Mr Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman. "We agreed not to make the announcement until all details -" **

**"Oh, details!" said Bagman, waving the word away like a cloud of midges. "They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -" **

"What's happening at Hogwarts?" James demanded.

"Yes, just tell us," Lily urged. "There's no way that I'll be able to stand yet another mystery!"

**"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," said Mr Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short. **

"No!" James and Sirius howled.

"Oh for goodness sakes!" Lily snapped at the book, "Couldn't you have just told them?"

**"Thank you for the tea, Weatherby." **

"Yes _Weatherby," _Sirius mocked with a snigger, joined by James.

**He pushed his un-drunk tea back at Percy and waited for Ludo to rise; Bagman struggled to his feet again, swigging down the last of his tea, the gold in his pockets clinking merrily. **

**"See you all later!" he said. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me - I'm commentating!" He waved, Barty Crouch nodded curtly, and both of them Disapparated. **

**"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" said Fred at once. "What were they talking about?" **

"Yes, why don't you tell us Mr Weasley," said Lily desperately.

"Don't worry Lily," Remus said cheerfully, "If it's happening at Hogwarts they'll probably find out at the Opening Feast."

"Still," she muttered, disgruntled.

**"You'll find out soon enough," said Mr Weasley, smiling. **

"But I want to know now!" Lily all but wailed.

Sirius whispered to James, "And she calls _us _immature!" James nodded silently in agreement, making sure that she couldn't see them.

**"Its classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," said Percy stiffly. "Mr Crouch was quite right not to disclose it." **

"Oh, shut up Weatherby!" Sirius and James said in unison.

"Typical," said Lily, looking up from the book with a raised eyebrow.

"What's typical?" James asked her, confused.

**"Oh, shut up, Weatherby," said Fred. **

"That's typical," she said dryly.

"Well, look's like those two are really the next generation of pranksters!" said Remus amusedly.

**A sense of excitement rose like a palpable cloud over the campsite as the afternoon wore on. By dusk, the still summer air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation, and as darkness spread like a curtain over the thousands of waiting wizards, the last vestiges of pretence disappeared; the Ministry seemed to have bowed to the inevitable, and stopped fighting the signs of blatant magic now breaking out everywhere. **

"It had to have happened eventually," Remus said. "In an event like the World Cup, everybody's going to want to use magic to show their excitement."

"Well, I suppose you can't blame the Ministry for trying," said Lily, shaking her head.

**Salesmen were Apparating every few feet, carrying trays and pushing carts full of extraordinary merchandise. There were luminous rosettes - green for Ireland, red for Bulgaria - which were squealing the names of the players, pointed green hats bedecked with dancing shamrocks, Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that really roared, flags from both countries which played their national anthems as they were waved; there were tiny models of Firebolts, which really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves. **

James was staring at the book, wishing desperately that he was there with his son, so that he could spoil him and get him everything, and then argue over who was the better player or compare this match to other matches they had been to.

Sirius was smiling wistfully, thinking along the same line as James.

**"Been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Ron told Harry, as they and Hermione strolled through the salesmen, buying souvenirs. Though Ron purchased himself a dancing-shamrock hat and a large green rosette, he also bought a small figure of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker.**

"Ron really likes Krum, doesn't he?" Remus said with a laugh, trying to take his friends' minds off the fact that they weren't there.

Sirius smiled gratefully at Remus and added, "Yeah, he'd probably be right there with all the fan-girls trying to get his autograph!"

**The miniature Krum walked backwards and forwards over Ron's hand, scowling up at the green rosette above him. **

"Somehow I don't think it was a good idea to put an Irish rosette and a Bulgarian player together," said Lily, sounding as though she was barely holding back a laugh.

**"Wow, look at these!" said Harry, hurrying over to a cart piled high with what looked like brass binoculars, except that they were covered in all sorts of weird knobs and dials. **

"Wonder what they are," Remus asked interestedly.

**"Omnioculars," said the sales-wizard eagerly. "You can replay action ... slow everything down ... and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. Bargain - ten Galleons each." **

"Cool," said James enviously. "Wish they were already invented."

**"Wish I hadn't bought this now," said Ron, gesturing at his dancing shamrock hat and gazing longingly at the Omnioculars. **

"Poor Ron," said Remus sympathetically.

**"Three pairs," said Harry firmly to the wizard. **

"Aw, that is so sweet of you Harry," Lily cooed. "How nice of you to do that for a friend!"

**"No - don't bother," said Ron, going red. He was always touchy about the fact that Harry, who had inherited a small fortune from his parents, had much more money than he did.**

"Hey, looks like we left our money to Harry," said James, obviously trying to sound upbeat. It may have worked if not for the fact that his eyes were suspiciously bright.

**"You won't be getting anything for Christmas," Harry told him, thrusting Omnioculars into his and Hermione's hands. "For about ten years, mind." **

"Good way to stop Ron's self-consciousness," said Remus, nodding in agreement.

"Aw, my Harry hasn't inherited his father's idiocy after all," said Lily, half sweetly and half bitingly.

**"Fair enough," said Ron, grinning. **

**"Oooh, thanks, Harry," said Hermione. "And I'll get us some programmes, look -" **

**Their money bags considerably lighter, they went back to the tents. Bill, Charlie and Ginny were all sporting green rosettes too, and Mr Weasley was carrying an Irish flag. **

"Looks like they're all supporting the Irish," James said with a grin.

"Looks like it," said Sirius, grinning back.

**Fred and George had no souvenirs as they had given Bagman all their gold. **

"Looks like they might be regretting it now," said Lily.

"Depends, after all they might have been saving it up for that shop of theirs," Remus pointed up logically.

"I suppose so," Lily admitted.

**And then a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and, at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the pitch. **

"The match's about to begin!" said James excitedly, practically bouncing up and down.

**"It's time!" said Mr Weasley, looking as excited as any of them. **

"As he should," the three boys said together.

**"Come on, let's go!" **

Lily finished the chapter with a tolerant smile and the said dramatically, "Hmm, I wonder who should read the next chapter entitled the Quidditch World Cup? Remus, what about you?"

Remus smiled at her, his eyes twinkling, but before he could answer, James spoke up and practically squealed, "I wanna read it!"

-----------**Authors Note--------------**

_Thanks to those that reviewed, and give me a christmas present by reviewing now! :) _

_Wesołych świąt, to all!_


	8. The Quidditch World Cup

_HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! :) Hope you have a great year, enjoy this and help me kickstart this year well by leaving review… ;)_

_I went to my doctors the other day for a check-up and you wouldn't believe what his name was… Paddy! Literally, his name is Paddy. I only just realized and I was so surprised._

**-------------------------**

**CHAPTER EIGHT **

**THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP**

James was practically beaming as he read while Lily was wondering how on earth anyone could smile that hard while still reading audibly.

Remus and Sirius had resigned themselves to James' Quidditch obsession years ago and so they were paying more attention to the actual reading than James' reactions.

**Clutching their purchases, Mr. Weasley in the lead, they all hurried into the wood, following the lantern-lit trail. They could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing. **

"You know, even with the war going on, the Ministry should have tried to host the cup," said Lily thoughtfully. "I mean, if it makes people that happy then the planning is worth it."

Remus looked thoughtful – and also slightly apprehensive if you looked closely, "That's a brilliant idea, but did you have to bring it up now?"

"What do you me – Oh," said Lily, comprehension dawning on her as she turned around and saw the look in her husband's eyes.

"Yes, oh," said Sirius, practically moaning. "James is gonna organize a petition to try and get them to get the World Cup here now!"

James didn't bother to deny it and just continued reading.

**The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious; Harry couldn't stop grinning.**

"That's right Harry, be happy," said James under his breath wistfully.

Sirius was looking out the window as he listened to James' deep voice fill the room, imagining being there with Harry, teasing him about his crush and arguing over who was the better player.

_Someday, somehow it will happen_, thought Sirius determinedly.  
**  
They walked through the wood for twenty minutes,** **talking and joking, until at last they emerged on the other side, and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium. Though Harry could see only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the pitch, he could tell that ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it. **

"Wow," whispered Remus, getting caught up in the spirit of things. He wasn't a Quidditch fanatic and had never played the sport at school but was still at every game, cheering James and Sirius on.

"It must be wicked cool," said Sirius, turning away from the window to pay more attention to the book.

James nodded fervently; the sad look in his eyes that had been present when he had found out about his own death had been replaced by happiness. Seeing this, Lily only smiled and said nothing.

**"Seats a hundred thousand," said Mr. Weasley, spotting the awestruck look on Harry's face. **

James smiled fondly, wishing more than ever that he was there in Mr Weasley's place. Sirius had again turned to the window and was gazing into the distance, just imagining the look in his godson's innocent green eyes. All right, by the age of fourteen Harry would most likely not be very innocent, but ever since Harry had first opened his eyes, Sirius had always seen Harry as an innocent, defenseless little boy.

**"Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle-Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again**

"And that is why we can't have the World Cup here," said Remus. "We need all the men to work against Voldemort and try and rebuild what he's been destroying. There's no way that they can afford a taskforce of five hundred to work on it."

James looked absolutely crestfallen and cursed Remus for his logical mind before returning back to the book, knowing that it would probably be torture to have to read it but not actually be there.

**... Bless them," he added fondly, leading the way towards the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards**

**"Prime seats!" said the Ministry witch at the entrance, when she checked their tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, as high as you can go."**

James groaned in envy and Sirius' eyes brightened as he sat back down on the couch. Remus just shook his head smiling.**  
**  
**The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upwards with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Mr. Weasley's party kept climbing, and at last they reached the top of the staircase, and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goalposts. **

James groaned again saying, "They are so lucky, they're gonna be able to see all the action from there!"

"He'll probably be there with the Minister for Magic as well," Remus said, having just thought of it.

"Hey, who do you think the Minister is?" Lily asked curiously, suddenly realizing that they had no idea who had usurped Crouch for the top job.

"Who knows," said James and then added impatiently, "Can we hurry up, I wanna get to the good part!"

"And here I thought that everything to do with the Cup was good to you," Sirius said dryly.

"Nah, the only good parts before this were Harry's reactions to the magical stuff," said James slightly wistfully.

Sirius smirked and added, "And of course we can't forget Harry's little crush on Miss Cho Chang."

"No, of course not," said James smirking back. It was probably a good thing that Harry was only several months old or he'd be embarrassed beyond belief over his crush.

**About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Harry, filing into the front seats with the Weasleys, looked down upon a scene the like of which he could never have imagined.**

James wished that he could be there, as did Sirius.

Even Lily wanted to go even though she wasn't really a Quidditch fan, but it would be worth it just to see the look on Harry's face. And to maybe meet this Cho.

**A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats which rose in levels around the long oval pitch. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light that seemed to come from the stadium itself. **

"Huh, what's the light?" asked Sirius, sounding confused.

"Well, a place like that would probably have thousands of protective wards, not just from muggles but from everything. So many spells concentrated in one place probably ended with this mysterious light and since it looked good and would most likely ruin the original spells, they probably just didn't vanish it," said Lily all in one breath.

Sirius and James just stared at her in stunned silence for a few moments. Then James said shaking his head, "And this just proves that she graduated top of her class."

Sirius just nodded, blinking in surprise.

**The pitch looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. **

"Either they're really high up or they spent a lot of time on that pitch," James stated.

"Honey, they're in the Top Box of a stadium that seats a hundred thousand people. I would say that they are high up," Lily said to James in an exasperated voice.

"Oh… right," said James sheepishly, glaring at Remus who was unsuccessfully trying to hold in his laughter.

**At either end of the pitch stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Harry's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand was scrawling upon it and then wiping it off again;**

"Are giants even that tall?" asked Lily, sounding surprised. Being a muggleborn, she had little experience with giants.

"Well, we don't even know how high up that blackboard is," Remus mentioned wryly. "But giants are generally twenty to thirty feet."

"You're joking," said Lily, staring at him. Remus just shook his head but didn't say anything as James had gotten impatient and started reading again.

**watching it, Harry saw that it was flashing advertisements across the pitch.**

_**The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family - safe, reliable and with In-built Anti-Burglar ... Mrs Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess-Remover: No Pain, No Stain! ... Gladrags Wizardwear - London, Paris, Hogsmeade ...**_

"Huh, Gladrags got another store," said Lily absent-mindedly.

**Harry tore his eyes away from the sign and looked over his shoulder to see who else was sharing the box with them. So far it was empty, except for a tiny creature sitting in the second from last seat at the end of the row behind them.**

"Wonder what kind of creature would be in the top box," said Sirius curiously. "With the prejudice the wizarding world shows, I'm surprised it's allowed to be up there."

"It might be a house elf saving their master a seat," Remus suggested.

"Probably is," James agreed.

**The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea-towel draped like a toga, and it had its face hidden in its hands. Yet those long, bat-like ears were oddly familiar... **

"Yep, Moony was right, definitely a house-elf," said Sirius, leaning back in his chair, as he had sat up when James had started the passage.

**"**_**Dobby**_**?" said Harry incredulously.**

"Wait a moment, who on earth is Dobby?" asked Lily sharply.

"A house-elf," Remus answered at once.

"Obviously, but just how does Harry know this house-elf?" Lily asked, in a slightly softer tone though still slightly sharp.

The three marauders exchanged an uneasy glance before the look on Sirius' face cleared up and he said brightly, "Harry probably met him down at the kitchens while sneaking down there as an heir of a marauder should do!"

"Considering James' genetics, that's probably the most likely," Remus inserted with a laugh.

Lily nodded, satisfied but still slightly suspicious.

**The tiny creature looked up and parted its fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato. It wasn't Dobby - it was, however, unmistakably a house-elf, as Harry's friend Dobby had been. **

"Ok, so there goes that theory," Sirius admitted.

"Actually, it may still be a Hogwarts house-elf," Remus pointed out logically. "Maybe Harry met Dobby up at Gryffindor Tower late one night or something."

"Maybe," said James, looking a little wary. If the events of this book so far were any indication, then somehow he doubted this to be true.

**Harry had set Dobby free from his old owners, the Malfoy family.**

_And there it is, _James thought. Out loud he said incredulously, "How the hell did he manage to do that?"

"He had to have somehow tricked Lucius or Narcissa into giving him clothes," said Sirius in wonderment.

"That's my boy!" said James proudly. "A true marauder."

"And how do you know Harry even had to be sneaky to set Dobby free?" asked Lily in an amused tone.

Sirius snorted and said candidly, "Lily, trust me, Lucius and Narcissa would not give up a slave without one hell of a fight. Harry had to have been downright sneaky to have managed to free their house-elf."

"Should I be worried or impressed?" Lily asked out loud.

"Impressed," all three men said at once.

**"Did sir just call me Dobby?" squeaked the elf curiously, from between its fingers. Its voice was higher even than Dobby's had been, a teeny, quivering squeak of a voice, and Harry suspected - though it was very hard to tell with a house-elf - that this one might just be female. **

"It is hard to tell, but Harry's right, the females generally have a higher voice," James confirmed.

"I don't even want to know how you guys would know that," Lily muttered with her head in her hands, knowing that both James and Sirius' familys only had one male elf.

**Ron and Hermione spun around in their seats to look. Though they had heard a lot about Dobby from Harry, they had never actually met him. **

"I. Hate. Mysteries," said Lily with a tense voice, looking at the book with narrowed eyes.

"We'd better hope the book doesn't reveal anymore!" Sirius whispered in James' ear. James nodded fervently.

**Even Mr. Weasley looked around in interest. **

**"Sorry," Harry told the elf, "I just thought you were someone I knew."**

**"But I knows Dobby too, sir!" squeaked the elf.**

"Damn, what are the chances of that," said Remus, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius, looking at him.

"I mean, what are the chances that, out of all the hundreds of house elves, Harry runs into one that knew Dobby at the Top Box of the World Cup," Remus answered him, shaking his head.

**She was shielding her face, as though blinded by light, though the Top Box was not brightly lit. "My name is Winky, sir - and you, sir -" her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side plates as they rested upon Harry's scar, "you is surely Harry Potter!" **

"Even House Elves know him by his scar," said Lily. "He really is famous."

"Well, considering what we read in the second chapter, that's not too surprising," Remus pointed out.

"I hope it mentions that in more detail," said Lily softly. "I mean, what if it was something we did and we won't know what to do?"

"You obviously knew what to do in the book, so I'm sure you'll know when the time is right. But if I have it my way, it's not gonna happen," said Sirius, the first part softly but the second part determinedly.

Lily smiled at him and in an effort to cheer herself up she joked, "Wow Sirius, that's the second time you've used your brain today. What is that, some kind of record?" Sirius rolled his eyes at her but also grinned back.

**"Yeah, I am," said Harry. **

**"But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!" she said, lowering her hands very slightly and looking awestruck.**

"How annoying would it get if every new person you met paid more attention to your past than you," said James to the room at large.

"It might be cool the first few times," Sirius admitted, "But after a while it would just get annoying."

**"How is he?" said Harry. "How's freedom suiting him?"**

"He'd like it wouldn't he?" asked Lily.

"Actually, most house elves hate being freed," Sirius answered her. "They think it's the worst thing that can ever happen to them. But if Dobby served the Malfoy's, he probably loves being free."

**"Ah, sir," said Winky, shaking her head, "ah, sir, meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favour, sir, when you is setting him free." **

"Well why not?" James demanded. "Sirius said it, Dobby would probably hate the Malfoys!"

"Is there really any proof?" asked Lily.

"Lily, you've only ever met the Hogwarts house elves," said Sirius. "And Dumbledore treats them well, so it's different. But pure-bloods are absolutely horrible to them and literally treat them like slaves."

"Besides," said Remus, adding in his own two cents, "From what we've seen of Harry I sincerely doubt he'd free Dobby if Dobby didn't want to be freed."

"I suppose you're right," Lily admitted a little grudgingly, for she disliked being proved wrong by a marauder.

**"Why?" said Harry, taken aback. "What's wrong with him?" **

**"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir," said Winky sadly. "Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."**

"What? Why not? Plenty of people would want a house elf!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yeah, and if he couldn't get some rich family then he could go to any other family," Sirius agreed.

"I suppose it's something different," Remus spoke up logically.

**"Why not?" said Harry.**

**Winky lowered her voice by a half octave and whispered, "**_**He is wanting paying for his work, sir.**_**"**

"Oh, that'd do it," James conceded.

"So people are refusing to hire him just because he wants to be paid?" asked Lily, making sure, even as her eyes narrowed.

**"Paying?" said Harry blankly. "Well - why shouldn't he be paid?" **

"Exactly!" said Lily vehemently.

"It's just the prejudices that the wizarding world has," said James, shaking his head in disgust.

"House Elves are incredibly powerful beings, I wouldn't be surprised if they were enslaved in the first place because wizards were scared of what they could do," Remus explained briefly, having the most experience with prejudice.

"Well, the least they could do is let them get paid!" Lily huffed, crossing her arms.

**Winky looked quite horrified at the idea, and closed her fingers slightly so that her face was half-hidden again.**

"See, now House Elves are so used to being slaves that hardly any complain," Remus pointed out.

"And I suppose with Voldemort gone, they might get treated a little better," said James slowly.

**"House-elves is not paid, sir!" she said in a muffles squeak. "No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, like some common goblin."**

"They cannot do that just because Dobby wants to be paid?" Lily said, sounding horrified.

"Don't worry Lils, they can't," said James. "It's just that for them doing anything wrong is the worst thing in the world and so deserves the worst punishments."

"Yeah, most house elves end up punishing themselves if they do something wrong," Sirius said and then added under his breath, "Wish Kreacher was the same."

**"Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun," said Harry.**

"I agree, but Winky won't," said James, shaking his head. "I remember how long it would take Mum to try and get our house elf to take a holiday."

"Did she manage to do it in the end?" asked Remus, sounding interested.

"Yep, but he insisted on coming back at least for an hour each day to make sure everything was still clean," James answered, shaking his head. "Mum didn't like it but it was the only way she could think of to get him to take a break." 

**"House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter," said Winky firmly, from behind her hands. "House-elves does what they is told.**

"Yeah, that's what Dinky said," James exclaimed. "Practically word for word."

"Poor creature, it's almost like they've been practically brainwashed," said Lily sympathetically.

**I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter -" she glanced towards the edge of the box and gulped, "- but my master sends me to the Top Box and I comes, sir." **

"And that, Lily, is what I meant when I said that pure-bloods treat their house elves horribly," said Sirius dramatically.

"That's just cruel," said Lily, shaking her head.

**"Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?" said Harry, frowning. **

"Because she's there and wizards are far to used to having house elves do their bidding," Sirius said patiently, as though Harry was right there next to him.

"Well, I quite agree with Harry," said Lily.

**"Master - master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter, he is very busy," said Winky, tilting her head towards the empty space beside her. "Winky is wishing she is back in master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told, Winky is a good house-elf."**

"Maybe Harry ought to free her as well," said Sirius dryly.

"No way, she'd be devastated," James protested. "The way she talks, is she was freed she'd probably go nuts."

"True," Sirius admitted with a sigh. "Ah, why must these things be so difficult?" he said dramatically.

**She gave the edge of the box another frightened look, and closed her eyes completely again. Harry turned back to the others. **

**"So that's a house-elf?" Ron muttered. **

"Ron's a pureblood isn't he?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrow. "Wouldn't he know what a house-elf looks like?"

"Not necessarily," Remus said, shaking his head.

**"Weird things, aren't they?"**

**"Dobby was weirder," said Harry, fervently. **

"I'm beginning to wonder just what this Dobby was like," said Lily with both amusement and curiosity in her voice. After all, the only thing that had happened between them was that Harry had freed Dobby. Right? _Right, _Lily decided.

**Ron pulled out his Omnioculars and started testing them, staring down into the crowd on the other side of the stadium.**

"A good idea," said James, getting back into the spirit of the World Cup. "That way you can be sure they won't malfunction in the middle of the cup!"

"If James was there, he'd probably test his for about an hour before being positive that he wouldn't miss anything from the Cup," Sirius muttered under his breath to Remus, who snorted with laughter.

**"Wild!" he said, twiddling the replay knob on the side. "I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again ... and again... and again ..." **

The boys all chuckled while Lily shook her head.

"Sounds like something you two prats would do," she said, waving her hands towards James and Sirius.

"Who, us?" they asked in perfect synchronization.

**Hermione, meanwhile, was skimming eagerly through her velvet-covered programme. "'A display from the team mascots will precede the match'," she read aloud.**

"Ooh, that'd be interesting," said Lily, sounding excited. "After all, there are plenty of magical creatures in other countries that you wouldn't have a chance of finding in England!"

"Bet you the Irish will have leprechauns," said Sirius.

"They will, that's what they're most famous for," James said. "Wonder what the Bulgarians will have though?"

**"Oh, that's always worth watching," said Mr. Weasley. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, to you know, put on a bit of a show."**

"Lily's right, this ought to be good," said Sirius.

**The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards.**

"Wonder if it's a good thing or a bad thing that they're staying with so many important people," James wondered out loud.

**Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he was trying to sit on a hedgehog. **

"Not him again," said Sirius in disgust. "Honestly, he's really beginning to get on my nerves!"

"I suppose in this context, being with so many important people can be a bad thing," said Remus dryly.

**When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic himself, **

"Cornelius Fudge? Who on earth is that?" asked Remus, wracking his brain for a face.

"I've got no idea," said Lily.

"We do," James spoke up after he and Sirius had exchanged a look. "But how he got to be minister I wish I knew."

"He's a desk clerk at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Sirius added after seeing their bewildered looks.

"How on earth did some nobody manage to beat Bartemius Crouch out of the elections?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Let's hope we find out later on," said James before turning back to the book.

**arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. **

The three men all howled with laughter and Lily also giggled a little.

"Honestly, serves the suck-up right," said Sirius, now looking quite a bit happier.

**Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand, and thereafter remained in his seat, throwing jealous looks at Harry,**

"Hey, why on earth are you jealous of Harry?" James demanded.

**whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted like an old friend. **

"That'd do it," said Remus as they all cracked up laughing once more.

**They had met before, **

"I am going to assume that this is because of this whole Voldemort business and has absolutely nothing to do with any mischief," said Lily.

**and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion, asked how he was, and introduced him to the wizards on either side of him.**

**"Harry Potter, you know," he loudly told the Bulgarian Minister, who was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold, and didn't seem to understand a word of English. "**_**Harry Potter**_** ... oh, come on now, you know who he is... the boy who survived You-Know-Who... you **_**do**_** know who he is -" **

"Would Harry's fame really reach all the way to Bulgaria?" asked Sirius curiously.

"Well, they're not really hit by the war that much at the moment, but hey who knows," said James. Remus rolled his eyes, knowing that the Bulgarian had most likely definitely knew of Harry.

**The Bulgarian wizard suddenly spotted Harry's scar and started gabbling loudly and excitedly, pointing at it.**

"Well, apparently they do," said Sirius.

Remus rolled his eyes again and said exasperatedly, "It wouldn't matter if they were hit by Voldemort or not, but I think that they would know if a fifteen month old defeated a powerful, fully grown wizard!"

"Oh… right," said Sirius in a dumb voice.

**"Knew we'd get there in the end," said Fudge wearily to Harry. "I'm no great shakes at languages, I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat... good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places**

"I thought the Bulgarians were trying to get extra seats not take all of the good ones," said James.

"Who knows, maybe they went for the good ones when they found out they couldn't make more," Remus suggest unconcernedly.

**...ah, here's Lucius!" **

"Oh no," said Sirius in a horrified voice.

"They're gonna be in the same box as Lucius?" James asked, also sounding horrified.

"Sounds like a yes," said Remus grimly.

"Poor things," murmured Sirius, shaking his head.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione turned quickly. Edging along the second row to three still-empty seats right behind Mr. Weasley were none other than Dobby the house-elf's old owners - Lucius Malfoy, his son, Draco, **

"Lucius and Narcissa had a kid?" asked Sirius, now even more horrified. "What has the world come to?!"

"Maybe the kid isn't as bad as his father," said Lily, though she was sounding doubtful.

"Yeah, after all Sirius, you turned out completely different from your father," said James, though he also sounded doubtful.

"We'll just have to wait and see won't we?" said Remus, trying to sound optimistic.

**and a woman Harry supposed must be Draco's mother.**

"Narcissa," Sirius muttered under his breath with vengeance. There was no love between the two cousins.

**Harry and Draco Malfoy had been enemies ever since their very first journey to Hogwarts. **

"Well, there goes that theory," said Lily, sighing.

"Looks like Harry's found his Snivellus," said James.

"Oh for goodness sakes, will you please stop calling him Snivellus?" said Lily exasperatedly.

"No," said James obstinately, making both Lily and Remus roll their eyes.

However, Remus was also looking at the book thoughtfully, which prompted Sirius to ask, "What are you thinking about Moony?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was just wondering if Snape will be in the book," he answered absentmindedly.

"I hope not," said James, with a horrified look on his face, Sirius looking the same way.

**A pale boy with a pointed face and white-blond hair, Draco greatly resembled his father. His mother was blonde, too; tall and slim, she would have been nice looking if she hadn't been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose.**

"Yep, that's Narcissa alright," said Sirius in a hard tone.  
**  
"Ah, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister for Magic.**

"Looks like Malfoy is right in the Minister's pocket," said James with a steely tone.

"He might not be a Death Eater," said Lily half-heartedly, not really believing her words. "After all, he's not in Azkaban as you'd think most of them would be."

"He probably pretended he was under the Imperius Curse," said Remus with disgust. Malfoy had already managed to make some laws to stop werewolves from being able to work at the Ministry.

**"How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?" **

"Who would want to meet them?" James asked while rolling his eyes.

"Nobody with any decent taste, that's for sure," said Remus vindictively.

**"How do you do, how do you do?" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs Malfoy. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister for Magic, **

"Oh, honestly," huffed Lily, "You'd think that he'd have learned his name by now!"

"That's Fudge alright," said James. "Wish I knew how he bet Crouch."

**and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"**

**It was a tense moment. **

"Seems like Mr Weasley and Malfoy don't like each other very much," said James dryly.

"Mr Weasley is a muggle-lover, to use their terms," Sirius explained with disgust on his features, "So, in that case, I would say that old Lucy feels that Arthur is beneath him."

**Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy looked at each other and Harry vividly recalled the last time that they had come face to face; it had been in Flourish and Blotts bookshop, and they had had a fight. **

"Yep, definitely don't like each other," said James, sounding slightly amused.

"Wonder who won," said Sirius idly. "Hope it was Arthur."

**Mr. Malfoy's cold grey eyes swept over Mr. Weasley, and then up and down the row. **

**"Good Lord, Arthur," he said softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"**

"Why that!" Lily spluttered, outraged. "Arthur Weasley and his family are worth ten of you, and are far better than you will ever be, money or no money!"

James and Sirius nodded, to angry to speak.

**Fudge, who wasn't listening, said, "Lucius has just given a **_**very**_** generous contribution to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest." **

"Yep, Lucius is right in the Minister's pocket," said Sirius rolling his eyes. "Really, you'd think this Fudge would recognize a bribe when he sees it!"

"Yes, well, it doesn't sound like Fudge is the brightest light on the Christmas tree," said Remus dryly.

**"How - how nice," said Mr Weasley, with a very strained smile.**

**Mr. Malfoy's eyes had returned to Hermione, who went slightly pink, but stared determinedly back at him.**

"Hermione's a muggle-born isn't she?" Sirius asked. When Lily nodded he added "That'd be why Lucius doesn't seem to like her."

**Harry knew exactly what was making Mr. Malfoy's lip curl. The Malfoys prided themselves on being pure-bloods; in other words, they considered anyone of Muggle descent, like Hermione, second-class.**

"Yep, the bunch of moronic hypocrites," said Sirius. "Prongs, you have no idea how thankful I am that you helped me get out of there."

"Anything for my best mate," James answered cheerfully.**  
**  
**However, under the gaze of the Minister for Magic, Mr. Malfoy didn't dare say anything. **

"Ha, Lucius isn't as dumb as he looks," said Sirius, trying to get away from the reminders of his life at Grimmauld Place.

"If he was as dumb as he looked, he would have an IQ that would value that of an ant," said Remus smoothly, making them all laugh.

**He nodded sneeringly to Mr. Weasley, and continued down the line to his seats. Draco shot Harry, Ron and Hermione one contemptuous look, **

"Yep, definitely like his father," said Remus.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong," said Lily.

**then settled himself between his mother and father. **

**"Slimy gits," Ron muttered, as he, Harry and Hermione turned to face the pitch again.**

"Hear, hear Ron," Sirius and James cheered.

**Next moment, Ludo Bagman had charged into the box. **

"That's right, Ludo's commentating," said Remus idly.

**"Everyone ready?" he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam. "Minister - ready to go?"**

"Who cares, just start the match!" James cried impatiently. "I mean, it's taken nearly half the chapter just to get here!"

**"Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge comfortably.**

**Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat and said "**_**Sonorus**_**!" and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands:**

"He's going to have a sore throat by the end of the match," said Lily, smiling as she saw the excitement of James, Sirius and, to a lesser extent, Remus.

**"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"**

Sirius settled back on the couch and propped his legs up comfortably on the table. He then conjured some popcorn which he settled next to him so that it was in easy reach.

**The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (**_**Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans - a Risk with Every Mouthful!**_**) **

"Tell me about it," said Remus, shivering as he remembered a particularly disgusting bean he had once had.

**and now showed BULGARIA: ZERO, IRELAND: ZERO.**

**"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce... the Bulgarian Team Mascots!" **

"Ooh, what did they bring?" asked Lily, leaning forward in anticipation.

**The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.**

"How on earth did they make it so one side was Ireland and the other Bulgaria?" asked Sirius, sounding confused.

"Who knows," Remus answered. "Maybe it was just a coincidence."

**"I wonder what they've brought?" said Mr Weasley, leaning forwards in his seat.**

**"Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. "**_**Veela!**_**"**

They all groaned.

"That's smart of them, now they'll have practically all the males rooting for Bulgaria," said Remus.

"Are the powers of a Veela really that strong?" asked Lily curiously.

"Read and you'll see," said James.

**"What are Veel-?"**

**But a hundred Veela were now gliding onto the pitch, and Harry's question was answered for him. Veela were women... the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen... except that they weren't - they couldn't be - human. **

"They're not," said Lily.

"Looks like Harry's fallen under the Veela's spell," said Sirius, shaking his head ruefully.

**This puzzled Harry for a moment, while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind...** **but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human - in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all. **

"Yep, he's under the spell," said James, his mouth twitching slightly.

"But he's never heard of Veela before, someone should have warned him," Lily protested, sounding worried about what Harry might so under the influence of the spell.

**The Veela had started to dance, and Harry's mind had gone completely and blissfully blank. All that mattered in the world was that he kept watching the Veela, because if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen...**

The men all exchanged smirks, ignoring the fact that is they were there and they hadn't covered their ears the same thing would have most likely happened to them.

**And as the Veela danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started chasing through Harry's dazed mind. He wanted to do something very impressive, right now. **

"Oh dear," said James, beginning to sound worried.

"Don't worry, someone will stop Harry from doing anything ridiculous," said Sirius, also looking a little worried.

**Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea**

"Harry James Potter!" Lily shrieked. "Don't you dare!" James was definitely beginning to look worried now, his parental instincts completely taking over his common sense.

**...but would it be good enough?**

"If you even dare!" said Lily, sounding both angry and hysterical.

**"Harry, what **_**are**_** you doing?" said Hermione's voice from a long way off.**

"See, I told you someone would stop Harry from doing anything," said Sirius, sounding slightly relieved.

Lily and James nodded, both looking immensely relieved and Lily managed to calm down after a few seconds. 

**The music stopped. Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box. **

Lily was beginning to look alarmed again.

**Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he was about to dive from a springboard.**

They all gave a few half hearted laughs, trying to forget the Veela.

**Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the Veela to go. Harry was with them; he would, of course, be supporting Bulgaria,**

"Oh, poor Harry is still under their spell," said Lily.

"He'll probably get over it when Ireland show off themselves," said Remus, sounding quite confident.

**and he wondered vaguely why he had a large green shamrock pinned to his chest. **

"Because you're supporting Ireland," Lily said to the book sweetly. James and Sirius just rolled their eyes while Remus was looking amused.

**Ron, meanwhile, was absent-mindedly shredding the shamrocks on his hat. **

"He'll regret that," said Remus, smiling slightly.

**Mr Weasley, smiling slightly, leant over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands. **

**"You'll be wanting that," he said, "once Ireland have had their say."**

"Huh, Mr Weasley agrees with you Moony," said Sirius.

"That's because they're both probably right," Lily answered.

**"Huh?" said Ron, staring open-mouthed at the Veela, who had now lined up along one side of the pitch.**

**Hermione made a loud tutting noise. She reached up and pulled Harry back to his seat. **

"Thank you Hermione!" said Lily.

**"**_**Honestly!**_**" she said.**

"I completely agree with you there, my dear," said Lily, nodding.

"Hey, it's not out fault Veela happen to have powers that make men do things they normally wouldn't," said Sirius defensively.

**"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air ... for the Irish National Team Mascots!" **

**Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet had come zooming into the stadium. **

"Leprechauns!" they all cried with excitement.

**It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling towards goalposts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the pitch, connecting the two balls of light. **

"That would be absolutely brilliant to see," said Lily, looking entranced just reading about it.

**The crowd "oooohed" and "aaaaahed", as though at a firework display. **

"Why would you have a display of fireworks?" asked James, sounding confused.

"Muggle fireworks are different and they have a display of them on special occasions," Lily explained.

**Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it – **

"Leprechaun Gold," they all said simultaneously.

**"Excellent!" yelled Ron, as the shamrock soared over their heads, and heavy gold coins rained from it, bouncing off their heads and seats. Squinting up at the shamrock, Harry realised that it was actually composed of thousands of tiny bearded men with red waistcoats, each carrying a minute lamp of gold or green. **

"That would be so cool," said Sirius.

"Tell me about it," James agreed.

**"Leprechauns!" said Mr. Weasley, over the tumultuous applause of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging round under their chairs to retrieve the gold.**

The boys snorted in laughter and Lily looked at them strangely. Seeing this, Remus explained, "Leprechauns are pranksters at heart. Their gold quite literally disappears after a few hours."

"I'm surprised so many people don't know that," said Sirius, sniggering.

"It sounds like something you would do," said Lily under her breath.

**"There you go," Ron yelled happily, stuffing a fistful of gold coins into Harry's hand. "For the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!"**

"Somehow I don't think Ron's going to be to happy when he finds out that it will have disappeared," said Remus, wincing.

"Why? It's not like Harry will care," Sirius argued.

"It's not that," said Remus. "It's more that he'll most likely feel self-conscious about it."

"Well, I doubt Harry will mind so if he doesn't mention it, Ron will have no reason to ever know," said Lily reasonably.

**The great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down onto the pitch on the opposite side from the Veela, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match.**

**"And now ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome - the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you Dimitrov!"**

**A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, **

James groaned in envy at the broomstick, and Sirius was also looking at the book jealously.

"The brooms really have gotten better, haven't they?" said Remus thoughtfully. "They're nowhere near that fast now." James just nodded while Lily rolled her eyes.

**shot out onto the pitch from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters. **

**"Ivanova!"**

**A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.**

**"Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand - **_**Krum**_**!"**

"Ah yes, they're star player," said James, intrigued. "I wonder what he's like?"

"Well, the only way you'll find out is if you keep reading!" said Lily, slightly snappish.

**"That's him, that's him!" yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omnioculars; Harry quickly focused his own.**

**Viktor Krum was thin, dark and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen.**

"Well, if you go through the extensive training regime of professional Quidditch, then it's quite understandable that he looks older," said Remus reasonably.

**"And now, please greet - the Irish National Quidditch Team!" yelled Bagman. "Presenting - Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand - **_**Lynch**_**!"**

"Well, isn't that a nice name," Lily said, snorting.

**Seven green blurs swept onto the pitch; Harry spun a small dial on the side of his Omnioculars, and showed the players down enough to read the word "Firebolt" **

"Woah…" said James breathlessly.

"What now?" asked Lily.

"The Firebolt… that's the broom that Sirius got Harry," said James in awe. Sirius' eyes lit up.

Remus snorted and muttered, "Typical Padfoot… buy the most extravagant present he could find…"

**on each of their brooms, and see their names, embroidered in silver upon their backs. **

**"And here all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!" **

"Hassan Mostafa," said Lily thoughtfully. "I've heard his name somewhere."

"Does it really matter," said James impatiently, wanting to get to the actual match.

**A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a moustache to rival Uncle Vernon's, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the pitch. A silver whistle was protruding from under the moustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. Harry spun the speed dial on his Omnioculars back to normal, watching closely **

"That's right Harry," said James under his breath. Lily stayed silent, resigning to the fact that as long as the sun rose and set, James would be obsessed with Quidditch.

**as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open - four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two black Bludgers and (Harry saw it for the briefest moment, before it sped out of sight) the minuscule, winged, Golden Snitch.**

"That's impressive," Sirius whistled.

"What is?" asked Remus curiously.

"The Golden Snitch is nearly impossible to see when you're playing. The fact that Harry saw it while he was in the Top Box is downright impressive," said James, sounding (and looking) immensely proud of his son.

**With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls.**

**"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" screamed Bagman. "And it's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!" **

"That's certainly a lot faster than how it's played at Hogwarts!" said Lily.

"The difference between a school match and a professional is huge," James agreed.

**It was Quidditch as Harry had never seen it played before. He was pressing his Omnioculars so hard to his eyes that his glasses were cutting into the bridge of his nose. The speed of the players was incredible - the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to each other so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names. Harry spun the "slow" dial on the right of his Omnioculars again, pressed the "play by play" button on the top and he was immediately watching in slow motion, **

Remus winced, thinking that would not be the best idea but James and Sirius seemed to like the idea.

**while glittering purple letters flashed across the lenses, and the noise of the crowd pounded against his eardrums.**

**"**_**Hawkshead Attacking Formation" **_**he read, as he watched the three Irish Chasers zoom closely together, Troy in the centre, slightly ahead of Mullet and Moran, bearing down upon the Bulgarians. "**_**Porskoff Ploy**_**" flashed up next, as Troy made as though to dart upwards with the Quaffle, drawing away the Bulgarian Chaser Ivanova, and dropping the Quaffle to Moran. **

"Just how many different Chaser formations are there?" asked Lily, sounding amazed.

"One hundred and eighty-six," James answered shortly. "But about fifty of those are recommended to only be tried by professionals."

"Yeah, James tried one once and he was in St Mungos for a week," Sirius confided to Lily, making her giggle and making James blush.

**One of the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov, swung hard at a passing Bludger with his small club, knocking it into Moran's path; Moran ducked to avoid the Bludger and dropped the Quaffle; and Levski, soaring beneath, caught it -**

**"TROY SCORES!" roared Bagman,**

"Huh? But Levski's got the Quaffle!" said James, sounding confused.

"Hate to break it to you, but if Harry watches in slow motion, then he's gonna miss stuff," said Remus in an amused tone of voice, making James curse under his breath.

**and the stadium shuddered with a roar of applause and cheers. "Ten-zero to Ireland!" **

**"What?" Harry yelled, looking wildly around through his Omnioculars. "But Levski's got the Quaffle!"**

"Well, they really ought to mention that somewhere," said Sirius fairly.

**"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!" shouted Hermione, who was dancing up and down, waving her arms in the air while Troy did a lap of honour of the pitch. **

"They don't do laps of honour at Hogwarts," said Lily.

"Must be just something for the person who scores the first time in the game," James suggested.

**Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars, and saw that the leprechauns watching from the side-lines had all risen into the air again, and formed the great glittering shamrock. Across the pitch, the Veela were watching them sulkily.**

"If Ireland wins, I don't want to think about what the mascots would do," said Sirius gleefully.

"Yes you do," Remus pointed out, and Sirius didn't bother to deny it.

**Furious with himself, Harry spun his speed dial back to normal as play resumed. **

"Aw Harry, don't worry, anyone could make the same mistake," said James.

"Heck, if James and Sirius were there they would probably make the same mistake," said Remus, laughing. The two in question just scowled at him.

**Harry knew enough about Quidditch to see that the Irish players were superb.**

"Even now, they're pretty good," James agreed. "They only just barely got beaten by the Wasps in the semi-finals."

"Maybe they breed them specially," Remus suggested dryly.

**They worked as a seamless team, appearing to read each other's minds by the way they positioned themselves, **

"That's what makes them so good," said James, nodding his head. "They've trained together so much that they know what the others think."

"They have to be really dedicated," Sirius added.

**and the rosette on Harry's chest kept squeaking their names: "**_**Troy - Mullet - Moran**_**!" And within ten minutes, Ireland had scored twice more, bringing their lead to thirty-zero, and causing a thunderous tide of roars and applause from the green-clad supporters.**

There was plenty of cheering in the room they were staying in.

**The match became still faster, but more brutal. **

"That usually happens," James admitted with a wince.

"And Harry does this?" asked Lily.

"Don't worry, the Hogwarts matches aren't nearly as bad," James pacified her, conveniently forgetting the number of times he had been injured in matches himself.

**Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks, dodge the Keeper, Ryan, and score Bulgaria's first goal. **

"Looks like the Bulgarian Chasers aren't completely useless," Sirius said.

**"Fingers in your ears!" bellowed Mr. Weasley, as the Veela started to dance in celebration. **

"Listen to him Harry, or you might miss important parts of the match," James urged.

**Harry screwed up his eyes, too; he wanted to keep his mind on the game.**

"Smart. Obviously inherited that particular trait from his mother," said Remus with twinkling eyes.

James' only answer was a pillow thrown at the werewolves face, who dodged it expertly.

**After a few seconds, he chanced a glance at the pitch. The Veela had stopped dancing, and Bulgaria were again in possession of the Quaffle. **

"Either they've improved or the Beaters are getting even rougher," said James, shaking his head.

"I'd say it's the second," said Sirius.

**"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova - oh, I say!" roared Bagman.**

"What? What happened," asked Sirius, his hand pausing on top of the popcorn bowl.

"If you let me continue, you'll find out," James snapped at him.

**One hundred thousand wizards and witches gasped as the two Seekers, Krum and Lynch, **

"The Snitch has been seen!" said Sirius excitedly, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

"Or it could be a feint," James pointed out, his eyes glittering with excitement.

**plummeted through the centre of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from aeroplanes without parachutes. **

James and Sirius looked towards Remus and Lily who just said, "Muggle thing. Don't worry about it."

**Harry followed their descent through his Omnioculars, squinting to see where the Snitch was – **

"Seems like it might be a feint," said James, sounding completely confident in his son's ability though he had only seen a small glimpse of it once so far.

**"They're going to crash!" screamed Hermione next to Harry. **

"It's a seeker diversion that will make your opponent crash so you can look for the snitch!" said James, comprehension dawning.

"That's dangerous!" said Lily.

"It's Quidditch," said James simply, shrugging his shoulders.

**She was half-right - at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiralled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. **

"That would have to hurt," said Sirius, wincing.

"Tell me about it," James agreed. "Well, I think we can safely say that although Ireland has the better chasers, the Bulgarians have the better seeker."

"Which means that the game can go either way," Remus concluded. "This will be quite an interesting match."

**A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.**

**"Fool!" moaned Mr Weasley. "Krum was feinting!" **

**"It's time out!" yelled Bagman's voice. **

"Can Krum catch the snitch during time out?" asked Lily curiously.

"No, but he can search for the snitch and then follow it until the time outs over," James explained.

"Not to mention that it would probably make it a little harder for Lynch to try and catch the Snitch," Remus added.

**"As trained medi-wizards hurry onto the pitch to examine Aidan Lynch!"**

**"He'll be OK, he only got ploughed!" Charlie said reassuringly to Ginny, **

"Only?" muttered Lily disbelievingly. "Honestly, men."

**who was hanging over the side of the box, looking horror-struck. "Which is what Krum was after, of course..."**

**Harry hastily pressed the "replay" and "play by play" buttons on his Omnioculars, twiddled the speed dial, and put them back up to his eyes.**

**He watched as Krum and Lynch dived again in slow motion. "**_**Wronski Feint - dangerous Seeker diversion**_**" **

"The Wronski Feint," said James. "I've never heard of it."

"It must be a technique that was developed when the brooms got faster," said Remus.

"Probably," James agreed.

**read the shiny purple lettering across his lenses. He saw Krum's face contorted with concentration as he pulled out of the dive just in time, while Lynch was flattened, and he understood - Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him.**

"Exactly," said James, happy that his son had seen through the technique.

Lily, on the other hand was not looking quite as happy as she said, "Harry James Potter, don't you dare even think about trying that technique yourself…"

**Harry had never seen anyone fly like that; Krum hardly looked as though he was using a broomstick at all; he moved so easily through the air that it looked as though he was unsupported and weightless. **

"For an eighteen year old he's utterly brilliant," said Sirius in awe.

"Tell me about it," James agreed. "He must have been practically raised on a broomstick!"

**Harry turned his Omnioculars back to normal, and focused them on Krum. He was circling high above Lynch, who was now being revived by mediwizards with cups of potion. Harry, focusing still more closely upon Krum's face, saw his dark eyes darting all over he ground a hundred feet below. **

"He's trying to find the snitch," said James knowledgably.

**He was using the time while Lynch was revived to look for the Snitch without interference.**

**Lynch got to his feet at last, to loud cheers from the green-clad supporters, mounted his Firebolt and kicked back off into the air. His revival seemed to give Ireland new heart. **

"Well, the diversion worked for Krum but not so much for the Bulgarian chasers," said Remus dryly.

"Ah, well, no move is perfect," James admitted. "Thought that one is pretty damn cool!"

**When Mostafa blew his whistle again, the Chasers moved into action with a skill unrivalled by anything Harry had seen so far. **

"I think Ireland will win," said Sirius confidently. "The Chasers are obviously ruddy brilliant."

"But Krum seems more likely to catch the snitch," Remus argued.

"Like we said before, this match could really go either way," said James.

**After fifteen more fast and furious minutes, Ireland had pulled ahead by ten more goals. **

"Though Sirius might have a point about Ireland," James admitted.

"This is one game where the results are practically impossible to predict," said Remus.

**They were now leading by one hundred and thirty points to ten, and the game was starting to get dirtier. As Mullet shot towards the goalpost yet again, clutching the Quaffle tightly under her arm, the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, flew out to meet her. Whatever happened was over so quickly that Harry didn't catch it, **

James and Sirius groaned but Remus said, "It was most likely a foul."

**but a scream of rage from the Irish crowd, **

"Yep, definitely a foul," said Remus.

**and Mostafa's long, shrill whistle blast, told him it had been a foul. **

**"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for clobbering - excessive use of elbows!" Bagman informed the roaring spectators. **

"Ouch," said James, wincing. "Are the Bulgarians really that desperate?"

"Apparently so," said Lily.

**"And - yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"**

**The leprechauns, who had risen angrily into the air like a swarm of glittering hornets when Mullet had been fouled, now darted together to form the words "HA HA HA!"**

They all laughed though Lily added, "I doubt the Veela will be too happy about that."

"Probably not," said Sirius, still laughing.

**The Veela on the other side of the pitch leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily and started to dance again. **

"Probably trying to get most of the men on their side," said James, sniggering. "But I think most of them will know by now to block their ears."

**As one, the Weasley boys and Harry stuffed their fingers in their ears, but Hermione, who hadn't bothered, **

"Well, she doesn't need to," said Sirius, "After all, women aren't susceptive to the powers of Veela."

**was soon tugging on Harry's arm. He turned to look at her, and she pulled his fingers impatiently out of his ears.**

"What, does she want Harry to look like a fool?" asked James.

"Must be something else," said Sirius through a mouthful of popcorn.

**"Look at the referee!" she said, giggling.**

"Oh dear," said Lily, giggling as she guessed what must have happened. The men, on the other hand, looked mystified.

**Harry looked down at the pitch. Hassan Mostafa had landed right in front of the dancing Veela, and was acting very oddly indeed. **

"He must have gotten influenced by the Veela!" said Remus, comprehension dawning. This made them crack up.

**He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his moustache excitedly.**

They all started laughing even harder.

**"Now we can't have that!" said Bagman, though he sounded highly amused. "Somebody slap the referee!" **

"I bet he's not going to be Happy," said Lily, still giggling.

**A medi-wizard came tearing across the pitch, his fingers stuffed in his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard on the shins. **

James and Sirius started sniggering again.

**Mostafa seemed to come to himself; Harry watching through his Omnioculars again, saw that he looked exceptionally embarrassed, **

"He would," said Sirius with a grin.

**and was shouting at the Veela, who had stopped dancing and were looking mutinous.**

**"And unless I'm much mistaken. Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian Team Mascots," said Bagman's voice. **

"Is that even allowed?" asked Remus incredulously.

"I think so, but it's never happened before," James answered him.

"Looks like Harry is gonna witness a moment in Quidditch History!" said Sirius.

**"Now **_**there's**_** something we haven't seen before... oh, this could turn nasty..."**

"It will," said Remus.

**It did, the Bulgarian Beaters, Volkov and Vulchanov, had landed either side of Mostafa, and began arguing furiously with him, gesticulating towards the leprechauns, who had now gleefully formed the words "HEE HEE HEE."**

This made them all start laughing again.

"It's almost like the mascots are providing more entertainment than the actual players," said Lily, sounding incredibly amused.

**Mostafa was not impressed by the Bulgarians' arguments, however; he was jabbing his finger in the air, clearly telling team to get flying again, and when they refused, he gave two short blasts on his whistle. **

"Ouch," said James. "Looks like Mostafa is really in a bad mood."

"I know," said Sirius. "I mean, two penalties?"

**"**_**Two**_** penalties for Ireland!" shouted Bagman, and the Bulgarian crowd howled with anger.**

"I'm not surprised," said James. "Especially since the Irish Chasers are practically guaranteed to get them in."

"Well, the Bulgarians should have listened to the referee," said Remus fairly. "Though I agree that two penalties is a bit harsh."

**"And Volkaov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms... **

"If they don't, then they're idiots," said Lily flatly.

**yes... there they go... and Troy takes the Quaffle..." **

**Play had now reached a level of ferocity beyond anything they had yet seen. The Beaters on both sides were acting without mercy: Volkov and Vulchanov in particular seemed not to care whether their clubs made contact with Bludger or human, as they swung them violently through the air. Dimitrov shot straight at Moran, who had the Quaffle, nearly knocking her off her broom.**

"If one of the Seekers don't catch the Snitch, it's going to turn into a blood bath!" exclaimed Lily.

"I agree, it looks like they've stopped caring about rules and are just trying to win," said Remus.

**"**_**Foul**_**!" roared the Irish supporters as one, all standing up in a great wave of green.**

"It will be," said James.

**"Foul!" echoed Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice. "Dimitrov skins Moran - deliberately flying to collide there - and it's got to be another penalty - yes, there's the whistle!"**

**The leprechauns had risen into the air again and, this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed across the pitch towards the Veela. **

The three men all burst out laughing once more, while Lily looked on the verge of laughing and looking disapproving. After all, there were young children there!

**At this, the Veela lost control. **

"This is gonna get ugly," said Remus, wincing.

"Definitely," Sirius agreed, grabbing more popcorn for the show.

**They launched themselves across the pitch, and began throwing what seemed like handfuls of fire at the leprechauns. **

Remus whistled disbelievingly.

**Watching through his Omnioculars, Harry saw that they didn't look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders –**

"Looks like they've got bad tempers," said James, cringing slightly.

"Which is why beauty is never the best," said Lily wisely.

**"And **_**that**_**, boys," yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, "is why you should never go for looks alone!" **

"Exactly," Lily agreed.

**Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the Veela and the leprechauns, but with little success; meanwhile, the pitched battle below was nothing to the one above. **

"This match is so going to go down in Quidditch History," said James.

"I know, fighting between the mascots and huge competition between the two teams," Sirius agreed.

**Harry turned this way and that, staring through his Omnioculars, as the Quaffle changed hands with the speed of a bullet –**

"Damn, I wish Hogwarts played that way," said James.

"Well, I think it's a good idea they don't," said Remus. "Can you imagine how many people would get injured?"

**"Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!"**

**But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the Veela, the blasts now issuing from the Ministry members' wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians. **

"Are all World Cups like this?" asked Lily.

"Well, my dad took us to one in France and it wasn't anything like this," said James. "Harry gets to see Quidditch history made!"

**The game recommenced immediately; now Levski had the Quaffle, now Dimitrov - **

**The Irish Beater Quigley swung heavily at a passing Bludger, and hit it as hard as possible towards Krum, who did not duck quickly enough. It hit him hard in the face.**

They all winced in sympathy.

"Looks like the Irish have got the upper hand now," said Remus.  
**  
There was a deafening groan from the crowd; Krum's nose looked broken, there was blood everywhere, but Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle. He had become distracted, and Harry couldn't blame him; one of the Veela had thrown a handful of fire and set his broom alight.**

"Is that even legal?" asked Sirius.

"No clue," said James, for once not knowing every rule of the game.

**Harry wanted someone to realise that Krum was injured; even though he was supporting Ireland, Krum was the most exciting player on the pitch. **

"Aw, Harry is very kind isn't he?" said Lily, smiling.

**Ron obviously felt the same. **

**"Time out! Ah, come on, he can't play like that, look at him -"**

**"**_**Look at Lynch!**_**" Harry yelled.**

"The Snitch has been seen!" James exclaimed.

"it couldn't be another feint could it?" asked Remus.

**For the Irish Seeker had suddenly gone into a dive, and Harry was quite sure that this was no Wronski Feint; this was the real thing...**

"Apparently not," murmured Remus.

**"He's seen the Snitch!" Harry shouted. "He's seen it! Look at him go!"**

**Half the crowd seemed to have realised what was happening, the Irish supporters rose in a great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on... but Krum was on his tail. **

"How on earth does he expect to catch the snitch with a broken nose?" asked James incredulously.

**How he could see where he was going, Harry had no idea; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him, but he was drawing level with Lynch now, **

"He's one hell of a good seeker," said Sirius, shaking his head.

**as the pair of them hurtled towards the ground again - **

**"They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.**

**"They're not!" roared Ron.**

**"Lynch is!" yelled Harry.**

"Again?" asked Lily. "Poor man."

"At least he doesn't have a broken nose," James reminded her.

**And he was right - for the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force, and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry Veela.**

"They're not very happy are they?" said Remus wryly.

**"The Snitch, where's the Snitch!" bellowed Charlie, along the row. **

But before James could continue to find out if the snitch was caught, a baby's wail permeated through the air. Lily immediately jumped up and ran to her sons room, while James put the book down grudgingly.

"Hey, sweetie, it's alright," cooed Lily as she walked back into the room, with a crying Harry in her arms.

"Here, Lily, let me take him," said Sirius, reaching out his hands. Lily gently deposited the baby into his arms. "Hey, Bud, what's up?" he said to his godson softly, who was staring up at him with his wide green eyes.

Harry sniffled for a few more minutes before snuggling up to his godfather, and, giving a satisfied sigh, went back to sleep.

"Here, I'll conjure a cot so Harry can sleep near us," said Remus softly, already pulling out his wand. He conjured the cot, and Sirius put the baby in it gently.

"Alright, no more yelling," said Lily. "Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," the boys chorused back at her.

**"He's got it - Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.**

"So Bulgaria won?" asked Sirius.

**Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand. **

**The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY, IRELAND: ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY across the crowd, who didn't seem to have realised what had happened.**

"I don't believe it," said James in awe. "Krum got the snitch but Ireland won."

"That had to have been one of the weirdest matches in Quidditch History," said Sirius.

**Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet was revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight. **

**"IRELAND WINS!" shouted Bagman, who, like the Irish, seemed to have been taken aback by the sudden end of the match. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH - BUT IRELAND WINS - good Lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"**

"Wait," said Remus slowly. "Isn't that what the twins bet for?"

"Yes, it is," said Lily in realization. "How on earth did they manage to predict a result like that?"

**"What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head. "He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!" **

"Yeah, why did he?" asked Lily, looking around at the boys.

"Because he wanted to end it on his terms," James explained.

**"He knew they were never going to catch up," Harry shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly, "the Irish Chasers were too good... he wanted to end it on his terms, that's all..." **

**"He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione said, leaning forward to watch Krum land, and the swarm of mediwizards blasting a path through the battling leprechauns and Veela to get to him. "He looks a terrible mess..."**

"I am really impressed," said James.

**Harry put his Omnioculars to his eyes again. It was hard to see what was happening below, because the leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the pitch, but he could just make out Krum, surrounded by mediwizards. He looked surlier than ever, and refused to let them mop him up.**

"For someone who just caught the snitch he doesn't seem to happy," said Lily.

"Of course not, he wanted to win," said Sirius.

**His team-mates were around him, shaking their heads and looking dejected; a short way away, the Irish players were dancing gleefully in a shower of gold descending from the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides; the Veela were shrinking back to their usual, beautiful selves now, though looking dispirited and forlorn.**

**"Vell, ve fought bravely," said a gloomy voice behind Harry. He looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister for Magic.**

"He didn't," said James, a delighted grin spreading across his face.

"No way," Sirius said, with and identical grin.

**"You can speak English!" said Fudge, sounding outraged. "And you've been letting me mime everything all day!" **

**"Vell, it vos funny," said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.**

The four adults apparently agreed, for they had burst out laughing.

"You know, I think I like this minister," said Sirius.

**"And as the Irish team perform a lap of honour, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" roared Bagman.**

"Wow, Harry gets to see the Cup," said James in an awed voice.

**Harry's eyes were suddenly dazzled by a blinding white light, as the Top Box was magically illuminated so that everyone in the stands could see the inside. Squinting towards the entrance, he saw two panting wizards carrying into the box a vast golden cup, which they handed to Cornelius Fudge, who was still looking very disgruntled that he'd been using sign language all day for nothing. **

"Serves him right, if he's taking bribes from Lucius," said Sirius.

**"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers - Bulgaria!" Bagman shouted.**

**And up the stairs came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below were applauding appreciatively; Harry could see thousands and thousands of Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.**

**One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows of seats in the box, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own Minister and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. **

"I bet he does," said Remus. "He played well, though."

**Two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch. Harry noticed that he looked much less co-ordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, ear-splitting roar. **

"Looks like he's very popular, even with the Ireland supporters," said Sirius.

**And then came the Irish team. Aidan Lynch was being supported by Moran and Connolly; the second crash seemed to have dazed him and his eyes looked strangely unfocused. **

"Doesn't seem much better off than Krum, does he?" asked Lily.

**But he grinned happily as Troy and Quigley lifted the Cup into the air and the crowd below thundered their approval. Harry's hands were numb with clapping.**

**At last, when the Irish team had left the box to perform another lap of honour on their brooms **

"How's Lynch going to do it?" asked Sirius.

**(Aidan Lynch on the back of Connolly's, clutching hard around his waist and still grinning in a bemused sort of way), **

"That'd work."

**Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and muttered "**_**Quietus**_**". **

**"They'll be talking about this one for years," he said hoarsely, **

"You bet they will!" said James.

**"a really unexpected twist, that ... shame it couldn't have lasted longer ... ah yes ... yes, I owe you ... how much?" **

"Twins must have come to collect their money," said James sounding bemused.

**For Fred and George had just scrambled over the backs of their seats, and were standing in front of Ludo Bagman with broad grins on their faces, their hands outstretched.**

"They would do really well in the business industry," said Lily.

"Well, this book is turning out far better than it seemed it would when we read the first two chapters," said James happily.

He really should have knocked on wood.

**------------------------**

_Again, happy new year, and please review! _


	9. The Dark Mark Pt 1

_Alright, I know this decision may annoy a lot of people, but I just honestly feel that this one is a little too insanely long, so I have cut this in half. Apologies to my older readers who are patiently waiting for 'new' chapters!_

_And, while it was something I had previously though impossible, I have edited and added some parts to this chapter :) Enjoy!_

**--------------------------------**

The three marauders and Lily were staring at a certain gurgling green-eyed baby. Harry had apparently decided that he didn't want to stay sleeping, and the five of them didn't know it was still safe to read.

Finally, Remus broke the silence, "It's not like he'll remember it and if we give him a whole lot of toys, I doubt he'll even listen to what we're doing."

"You're right Remus," said Lily decisively. "Sirius, James, get all of his toys from the other room and Remus, conjure me a blanket in the corner please."

Sirius and James went to the other room and soon came back out with a lot of toys levitating behind them while Lily was putting Harry down on a blanket that Remus had just conjured.

"Here you go Harry, lots of toys to play with, huh?" she cooed to her son. Harry gurgled as he grabbed a stuffed wolf and started chewing on it. "Good boy."

"But Harry," she said and then grabbed James' wand before continuing, ignoring the indignant "Hey!" that came from her husband. "Harry, this is Daddy's wand, but it's not a toy, ok?" she said. "You never, ever take Daddy's wand and you never use it, alright?"

Harry just looked up at her, his green eyes looking confused as he sucked on his stuffed wolf.

"Come on Lily, let's just continue reading the book," said Sirius, fighting to keep from bursting into laughter.

They all went back to the couches and sat down when James realized that Lily hadn't given him back his wand. "Um, Lily?" he said.

"Yes James," she asked, looking over to him.

"Daddy kind of wants his wand back."

Sirius fought to keep from laughing again as Lily handed James his wand with a small blush and Sirius began to read.

**CHAPTER NINE**

**THE DARK MARK**

Instantly all traces of humour was wiped from their faces.

"Harry's not going to see the Dark Mark, is he?" asked Lily nervously, looking at her son who was currently playing with all four of his stuffed toys.

"I doubt it," said James, trying to sound confident.

"Either way we'll never find out unless we start reading," said Remus, trying his best to sound optimistic. Sirius took that as his cue to begin the actual chapter.

**"Don't tell your mother you've been gambling," Mr. Weasley implored Fred and George**

"As if they would," scoffed James.

"I know, their mother would have their head on a plate!" Sirius agreed. "Their dad is really cool not to tell on them though."

"Mark my words, that'll only be because he's scared of what her reaction will be like that he let them gamble," said Remus wisely.

"I can relate to that," said James, wincing.

**as they all made their way slowly down the purple-carpeted stairs.**

**"Don't worry, Dad," said Fred gleefully, "we've got big plans for this money, we don't want it confiscated."**

"I bet they've got big plans," murmured Lily with a smile.

"Hey, I wonder if we'll get to see any of their other pranks," James said curiously.

"I certainly hope so!" said Sirius gleefully.

Remus frowned and shook his head at the book muttering, "Typical… they read a book and they still manage to find a way to turn it into ways to prank people."

**Mr. Weasley looked for a moment as though he was going to ask what these big plans were, **

"That might not be such a good idea," said James.

"I agree with James," said Lily. "Wait, why do you think that? With how you usually are you would generally be completely clueless."

"How am I supposed to know?" said James.

"Aw, James has developed fatherly intuition!" said Remus, lips twitching at the thought. Sirius burst out laughing and it took him a moment to recover before being able to continue.

**but seemed to decide, upon reflection, that he didn't want to know.**

"Wise decision," James muttered under his breath.

"See," said Remus smugly, referring to the 'fatherly intuition' he had mentioned a moment ago.

"Oh shut up," James snapped, his face burning red. Lily smiled fondly, thinking how much James had grown up in the last few years. If anyone had told her in fifth year that James Potter would ever end up having 'fatherly intuition' – or him even being a halfway decent father – she would have had them committed to a mental asylum.

**They were soon caught up in the crowds now flooding out of the stadium and back to their campsites. Raucous singing was borne towards them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path, and the leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns. **

Remus winced as he said, "The ministry is gonna have a tough time trying to calm down the Irish."

Sirius, knowing how a troublemakers mind worked being one himself, agreed completely, "I definitely wouldn't want to be in their shoes."

"It really is rather annoying that it has to be at a muggle place isn't it?" said Lily, sighing. "Really, the amount of memory charms they would have used…"

**When they finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all, **

"They're gonna be exhausted the next day," said Lily knowledgeably. "After getting up so early and all."

"Yeah, but it's the cup! There's no way that they're going to be able to sleep after being that excited," James pointed out happily.

"Yeah, and they're going to want to stay up discussing the match," Sirius agreed.

**and given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in. They were soon arguing enjoyably about the match; Mr. Weasley got drawn into a disagreement about cobbing with Charlie, **

"Hey, no, go back to the conversation about the match," James protested.

"James, shut up," said Sirius and Remus simultaneously.

"Yes, you saw the match, you shouldn't need to hear about it," Lily spoke up.

**and it was only when Ginny fell asleep right at the tiny table and spilled hot chocolate all over the floor that Mr. Weasley called a halt to the verbal replays, and insisted that everyone went to bed. **

"A good idea," said Lily, nodding approvingly.

**Hermione and Ginny went into the next tent, and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys changed into pajamas and clambered into their bunks. From the other side of the campsite they could still hear much singing and the odd echoing bang.**

"Still celebrating strong," said Sirius happily.

"The Irish teams going to try and do it all night," said James.

"I don't think even the ministry would have the heart to stop them," said Sirius.

"Just ask the Bulgarian Minister," said Remus with a chuckle, "I'm sure he'd have no problem!"

**"Oh, I am glad I'm not on duty," muttered Mr. Weasley sleepily, **

"I bet that anybody that isn't on duty is having that thought!" said James, laughing.

"Urgh, James, promise me that we will never volunteer to do duty for anything like that," said Sirius, shaking his head.

"Promised!" said James, still laughing.

"Somehow, I don't think volunteering is how they pick these people," said Remus.

"If it was, there wouldn't be any people there at all!" said Lily, chuckling at the thought.

**"I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating." **

"You'd be hexed," Remus stated simply.

"I personally think that they'll just be given a glass of firewhiskey and then completely ignored," said James.

**Harry, who was on a top bunk above Ron, lay staring up at the canvas ceiling of the tent, watching the glow of an occasional leprechaun lantern flying overhead, and picturing again some of Krum's more spectacular moves. **

"I am not like where this is going," said Lily.

"And there goes the motherly intuition," said Remus.

"It's just the 'famous Quidditch player fantasy'," said Sirius. "James has them all the time."

"Really?" asked Lily, looking over at her husband and sounding highly amused.

"Oh, shut it," James snapped irritably, flaming red once more and refusing to look anyone in the eye. Lily just giggled in response.

**He was itching to get back on his own Firebolt and try out the Wronski Feint... **

"I knew I wouldn't like it," said Lily, her eyes flashing.

"Oh, come on Lily, the kid just wants to improve his game!" James persuaded.

"You do remember that the Wronski Feint was the incredibly dangerous seeker diversion where you pelt towards the ground at top speed and are quite likely to crash?" asked Remus.

"Although, you know, maybe he should try it with a different move," James amended.

**Somehow Oliver Wood had never managed to convey with all his wriggling diagrams what that move was supposed to look like... **

"I get what he means," said James, nodding knowledgably. Lily glared at him and he added hastily, "Not that I'm saying he should risk trying to pull that move off!"

"Nice save," Sirius muttered to Remus, his lips twitching.

**Harry saw himself in robes that had his name on the back, and imagined the sensation of hearing a hundred-thousand-strong crowd roar, as Ludo Bagman's voice echoed throughout the stadium, "I give you ... **_**Potter**_**!"**

James had a proud look on his face as he looked on into the distance, even if he didn't want Harry to do anything dangerous, he was still more than pleased that he had managed to pass on his love of Quidditch to his only son.

Lily, on the other hand, had different thoughts going through her head as she said with narrowed eyes, "Harry James Potter, you even think about trying one of those moves, and you will be grounded for over a year!"**  
**  
** Harry never knew whether he had actually dropped off to sleep or not - his fantasies of flying like Krum might well have slipped into actual dreams - all he knew was that, quite suddenly, Mr. Weasley was shouting.**

"Now this is really not sounding good," said James, narrowing his eyes at the book.

"If it's got anything to do with the chapter title, then I agree with Prongs," said Sirius.

"Well, with all the security Harry shouldn't be any where near that… thing," said Lily sounding hopeful. "Right?"

"You forgot something Lily," said Remus.

"What?" she asked cautiously.

"Harry's the son of a marauder," he said.

"James, if Harry gets in trouble then you're sleeping on the couch," said Lily without batting an eye.

"What? But… but," James whimpered. He hated the couch. He threw a filthy look at Sirius to stop his sniggering.

"That goes for you too Black," Lily snapped at him. That made Sirius shut up as he tried to protest.

**"Get up! Ron - Harry - come on now, get up, this is urgent!" **

**Harry sat up quickly and the top of his head hit the canvas.**

"I hate it when that happens," Sirius muttered.

**"'S'matter?" he said.**

**Dimly, he could tell that something was wrong. The noises in the campsite had changed. **

"Obviously everyone's scared now instead of celebrating," said Remus grimly.

"Poor Harry just isn't having much luck at all is he," said Sirius, sounding sober, obviously feeling a bit upset that he was unable to be there with Harry to protect him. Of course, Sirius studiously ignored the fact that Harry could probably protect himself.

**The singing had stopped. He could hear screams, and the sound of people running. **

"In other words, it's chaos," said James.

**He slipped down from the bunk, and reached for his clothes, but Mr. Weasley, who had pulled on his jeans over his own pajamas, said, "No time, Harry - just grab a jacket and get outside - quickly!" **

"Just make sure it's a warm jacket," Lily urged, the mother in her coming out to dote on her son despite the danger it seemed he was in. She couldn't have her little ray of light getting a cold after all.

**Harry did as he was told, and hurried out of the tent, Ron at his heels.**

"Do you think that Harry, Ron and Hermione will stick together?" asked Sirius suddenly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Lily, giving him a side glance.

"Well, it would show how close they are it they decide to stick together," said Sirius shrugging.

"On most occasions I would agree with you," said Remus thoughtfully. "But in this case, either way I think that they'll be told to stay together."

"But for what it's worth," said James, "I think they would stay together either way."

**By the light of the few fires that were still burning, he could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field towards them, **

"The Dark Mark doesn't move, which means…" Lily said slowly.

"Death Eaters," James finished for her grimly.

"Just keeps getting better and better," said Sirius.

"Murphy's Law," said Lily under her breath, unheard by the three marauders.

**something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter and drunken yells were drifting towards them; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.**

Lily paled dramatically as the words came out of Sirius' mouth. "You don't think…" she whispered, letting the sentence trail off as the thought was to horrible to contemplate.

"No," said James confidently, though not really feeling it. "Not even they'd be crazy enough to do something like that. It's probably just a spell that recreates green light and is used to scare people."

"Yeah, probably," Lily echoed, trying to pull herself together.

**A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upwards, was marching slowly across the field. Harry squinted at them... **

"Don't look at them, get as far away from them as possible!" said Lily, sounding hysterical.

"Don't worry Lily, I'm sure everything will be fine," James said to her soothingly, putting his arm around her shoulders so she could cuddle into his strong chest.

**They didn't seem to have faces... **

"Masks," Sirius murmured quietly.

**Then he realized that their heads were hooded and their faces masked.** **High above them, floating along in mid-air, four struggling figures were being contorted into grotesque shapes. **

"No way," said Lily, sounding absolutely horrified.

"I'm really hoping this isn't going where I think it's going to go," said Remus quietly, actually sounding desperate.

**It was as though the masked wizards on the ground were puppeteers, and the people above them were marionettes operated by the invisible strings that rose from the wands into the air. Two of the figures were very small.**

"That's, that's…" said Lily, struggling to come up with a word to adequately describe the horrible things that the Death Eaters were doing to the poor family.

James and Sirius were using their rather… extensive vocabulary to describe their thoughts about the Death Eaters. At least this deterred Lily from what they were reading as she looked at the two men furiously.

She stood up and whacked them both in the head with all her strength as she said to them furiously, "How dare you speak like that with Harry here! You know he is at a pivotal point in his learning stage!"

At this, they all looked at Harry who was looking up at the adults with childish interest on his small and innocent face. "Bastard?" he asked in his high, childish voice.

James and Sirius both froze in fear and started to budge away from Lily, whose hair seemed to be glowing with her rage.

Remus decided to take a safer option and so kneeled down beside Harry. "Hey Harry, what have you got there? Can Uncle Moony see?" he asked the child, desperation slightly tinging his voice as he looked towards his best friends wife.

"Ga!" Harry said eloquently, showing his 'uncle' his stuffed wolf. Remus thanked every god he knew that Harry didn't use his new word as he petted the animal.

After nearly ten minutes, Remus realized that he hadn't heard any yelling from Lily and so risked a glance up to see her still berating the two of them well, but she had apparently put a silencing charm in place so Harry couldn't hear her yell at Daddy and Paddy.

After another ten minutes, Remus thought it safe to stand up and cautiously took off the charm, wincing in anticipation for any yelling that might still be taking place. Lucky for him, it didn't happen.

He sat down in his spot and looked to see what was now happening. It appeared that Lily was just coming to the end of her lecture as she said icily, "If you two ever do anything like that again, I will hex you so Harry will never have any sibling or god-siblings, is that understood?"

Whimpering, the two men nodded, double-checking that their man-hood was still in place.

"Good," she said and then added icily, "And the _both _of you will be sleeping on the couch for the next week, you got it?"

The two men nodded as quickly as is was possible without breaking ones neck and also added in slightly higher voices than normal, "Yes ma'am, whatever you say."

"Good," she said, satisfied and sat back down, motioning for Sirius to pick up the book and continue reading.

Sirius moved very slowly, getting the book as though it would burn him. James also moved back to his chair slowly, pausing where Harry was sitting to say, "Never, ever get Mummy mad, bud. Remember that." He sat down, leaving a suitable space between him and his wife, knowing better than to push her at the moment.

**More wizards were joining the marching group, laughing and pointing up at the floating bodies. **

"Just how many sickos are there at the Cup?" said Lily, narrowing her eyes at the book, more than willing to take out any remaining anger on the book. James and Sirius thought it would be better for their health if they stayed quiet for the moment while Remus didn't want to push his luck either. Sleeping on a couch killed his back.

**Tents crumpled and fell as the marching crowd swelled. Once or twice Harry saw one of the marchers blast a tent out of his way with his wand. Several caught fire.**

"I hope there isn't anybody in those tents," said James, his voice quieter but higher in pitch than normal. Lily nodded curtly in agreement.

**The screaming grew louder.**

**The floating people were suddenly illuminated as they passed over a burning tent, and Harry recognized one of them: Mr. Roberts, the campsite manager. **

"That's horrible," gasped Lily, her anger temporarily forgotten.

"After they let us use their fields and everything," said Remus shaking his head in disgust.

"I can't believe Harry is seeing this," James said quietly. He had never wanted his child to have to see any of the horrors that were in the world. It was the main reason he fought in the Order of the Phoenix.

**The other three looked as though they might be his wife and children. **

"They're doing it to kids to?" asked Lily incredulously. "That is just sick and wrong!"

"I couldn't agree with you more Lily," said James grimly.

**One of the marchers below flipped Mrs. Roberts upside-down with his wand; her nightdress fell down to reveal voluminous drawers and she struggled to cover herself up as the crowd below her screeched and hooted with glee.**

Remus turned slightly green, as did Lily. James and Sirius were both looking utterly furious as they fingered their wands.

"I can't believe anyone would do that," said Lily, sounding faint.

"Tell me about it," said Sirius, sounding more, well, serious, than he had in his entire life. Excluding that little incident with Snape and the Whomping Willow. "I swear, Azkaban is too good for these guys."

"Couldn't agree with you more, Pads," said James, looking a little sick himself.

**"That's sick," Ron muttered, **

"We're with you Ron," said Remus.

**watching the smallest Muggle child, who had begun to spin like a top, sixty feet above the ground, his head flopping limply from side to side. **

"The poor thing," said Lily, sniffing. "Just imagine how scared she'd be!"

**"That is really sick..."**

**Hermione and Ginny came hurrying towards them, pulling coats over their nightdresses, with Mr. Weasley right behind them. At the same moment, Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys' tent, fully dressed, with their sleeves rolled up and their wands out. **

"How did they manage to get fully dressed so quickly?" asked Sirius, sounding slightly confused.

"Either they never got un-dressed or they figured out what was happening faster," Lily answered, shrugging. "Now keep going! I want to know what's going happen." Sirius obliged quicker than he normally would.

**"We're going to help the Ministry," Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves. **

"Why do they have to be dressed to fight them?" asked James. "I mean, sure fighting in pajamas might not _look _professional but it would be faster."

"It's not like it honestly matters," said Sirius.

**"You lot - get into the woods, and **_**stick together**_**. **

"I thought that they'd be told to stick together," Remus spoke up.

"It's a better idea, they'll be less likely to be taken advantage of if they're in a big group," said Lily, nodding approvingly.

**I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"**

"How does he expect to find them in the chaos?" asked Sirius.

"He'll find some way," said Lily confidently. "Now read, or you'll be sleeping on the couch for a lot longer!"

"Yes ma'am," Sirius quickly whimpered, hiding behind the book. He loved Lily like a sister, but she really did have a terrifying temper.

**Bill, Charlie and Percy were already sprinting away towards the oncoming marchers; Mr. Weasley tore after them. Ministry wizards were dashing from every direction towards the source of the trouble. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was coming ever closer.**

"A crowd?" asked James incredulously. "You'd think that most of them would be in Azkaban or dead or something if Voldemort has been gone for thirteen years!"

"Gold must have changed hands," said Remus grimly, knowing the corruption of the Ministry.

**"C'mon," said Fred, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her towards the wood. Harry, Ron, Hermione and George followed. They all looked back as they reached the trees. **

"No, don't look back, just keep going," Sirius urged.

**The crowd beneath the Roberts family was larger than ever; they could see Ministry wizards trying to get through it to the hooded wizards in the centre, but they were having great difficulty. **

"Well, that might be a reason why there are so many people there," James said, a little happier.

"For how ever many bad people there are in the world, there are twice more good," Remus quoted.

"How do you know that old quote?" Lily asked him curiously, a smile forming on her face.

"It was my mothers favourite," said Remus simply. She had always quoted it to him back whenever someone treated him badly just because he was a werewolf.

**It looked as though they were to scared to perform any spell that might make the Roberts family fall.**

"So conjure a mattress," said Sirius slowly. "What are they, stupid?"

"I know, even Sirius thought of that straight away," said Remus, shaking his head.

"I know – Hey!" Sirius exclaimed indignantly, realizing just what Remus had tricked him into saying. He threw a pillow at the werewolf who caught it and settled it against him.

**The colored lanterns that had lit the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Dark figures were blundering through the trees; children were crying; anxious shouts and panicked voices were reverberating around them in the cold night air. Harry felt himself being pushed hither and thither by people whose faces he could not see. Then he heard Ron yell with pain.**

"Oh no, they haven't been caught by Death Eater's have they?" asked James anxiously.

"Somehow I think that they'd all know it if they had, not just Ron," said Remus logically.

**"What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh, this is stupid - **_**Lumos**_**!"**

"Wait, can't she get into trouble for under-age magic?" asked Lily.

"Nah, with people casting spells left and right, it won't make a difference," said James confidently.

Seeing that Lily still looked a little lost, Remus offered her a slightly better explanation, "The Ministry can't detect under-age magic, they can only detect plain magic. Since Hermione cast the spell in a place where there are hundreds of adults casting spells left and right, it will be grouped into one of theirs."

"Then the law is completely ridiculous and biased," said Lily.

"Yep, that pretty much sums it up," said James in an off-hand way.

**She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground. **

"**Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again.**

**"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them.**

Sirius growled as James said with hatred laced through his voice, "That sounds like something Snivellus would say."

"Which means that it's probably the Malfoy kid," said Sirius. Lily and Remus just rolled their eyes at the two men's ability to hold grudges.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione turned sharply. Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby, **

"Knew it," Sirius muttered.

**leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed.**

"If he's looking relaxed with all that chaos, I think it's safe to say that he really is a Death Eater," said Lily bitterly.

"And once more, it just proves that you can get away with anything as long as you have the gold," Sirius mocked.

**His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene on the campsite through a gap in the trees. **

"Probably told by his father to stay away," said Remus darkly.

"Typical," Sirius snorted.

**Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared to say in front of Mrs. Weasley.**

"Go Ron," Sirius and James exclaimed at once. Remus winced at their stupidity and looked at the window wondering if it really was that much of a jump.

"Oh, so you think it's alright to use foul language do you?" asked Lily, her eyes flashing dangerously. The two men instantly realized where they had gone wrong.

"No of course not Lily, we were just cheering for Ron for standing up for himself," said James a little quickly, knowing very well not to anger his wife when she was already in a bad mood with him.

**"Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like **_**her**_** spotted, would you?" **

**He nodded at Hermione, **

"Hermione's a witch," Sirius snarled.

**and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.**

Lily paled once more upon hearing that sentence come from Sirius' mouth.

**"What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly.**

**"Granger, they're after **_**Muggles**_**," said Malfoy.**

"And like Sirius said, Hermione is a witch," said James defiantly.

**"D'you want to be showing off your knickers in mid-air? Because if you do, hang around... they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."**

"Oh, what an absolutely horrible boy!" Lily raged furiously.

**"Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled.**

"That's right Harry, tell him off," murmured James and inwardly adding _Just don't use any language your mother wouldn't approve of!_

**"Have it your own way, Potter," said Mayfly, grinning maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood,** **stay where you are." **

"Why that," stormed James, absolutely incensed. If there was anything he hated more than Death Eaters, Voldemort and something bad happening to Harry it was that word.

"Git," Sirius muttered under his breath viciously.

**"You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron. Everyone present knew that "Mudblood" was a very offensive term for a wizard or witch of Muggle parentage.**

"Unfortunately, you won't be at Hogwarts for very long without learning that," James said bitterly.

**"Never mind, Ron," said Hermione quickly, seizing Ron's arm to restrain him as he took a step towards Malfoy.**

"Smart Hermione," said Lily. "Let them get payback on the idiot later."

"Why Lily," said James sounding both shocked and pleased, "I didn't know you had it in you!"

**There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard. Several people nearby screamed. Malfoy chuckled softly. **

"Yeah, you can chuckle you little pure-blood maniac," said Remus in disgust.

**"Scare easily, don't they?" he said lazily. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to - trying to rescue the Muggles?"**

"Yeah, because Mr Weasley happens to be a kind and _honourable _man, unlike you!" said Sirius loudly.

**"Where're **_**your**_** parents?" said Harry, his temper rising. "Out there wearing masks, are they?" **

"To true Harry, to true," muttered James in disgust.

**Malfoy turned his face to Harry, still smiling, "Well... if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"**

"Well, that all but tell us that he is!" said Remus, rolling his eyes.

"Unfortunately Lucius is so deep in the ministers pocket that nothing less than a confession will make him believe anything," Sirius said disgustedly.

"Honestly, it really is ridiculous," huffed Lily.

**"Oh, come on," said Hermione, with a disgusted look at Malfoy, "let's go and find the others." **

"It seems as though Hermione really is like our Remus – always the voice of reason!" said James, casting a fond look at his best friend.

**"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger," sneered Malfo**

**"Come **_**on**_**," Hermione repeated, and she pulled Harry and Ron up off the path again.**

"Well, at least she's sensible enough not to take it too heart," Lily said, remembering many days of comforting friends after all too similar conversations when they had been in Hogwarts.

**"I'll bet you anything his dad **_**is**_** one of that masked lot!" said Ron hotly.**

"That's practically a given," Sirius muttered with a snort.

**"Well, with any luck, the Ministry will catch him!" said Hermione fervently. **

"Couldn't agree with you more, Hermione," said Sirius.

"Yeah, if he was caught they would use Veritaserum and then he'd go straight to Azkaban where he belonged," said James, sounding enthused.

Sirius didn't say anything, he was beginning to get a strange shiver of fear whenever the wizarding prison was mentioned. He had heard the words 'If you get caught you'll go to Azkaban' plenty of times when the marauders had become illegal animagus' but it always seemed like something that would happen to somebody else. But now he had found out that apparently he would spend twelve long years in the prison. And he hated to admit it, but he was scared. He couldn't help but wonder what his future self was like, after having survived Dementors for twelve years.

**"Oh, I can't believe this, where have the others got to?" **

"Oh no, don't tell me that they're lost now to," groaned Lily, unaware of the deep thoughts that had just flown through Sirius' head.

Sirius shook himself out of it, determined to take each day as it came and continued to read, hoping for a little bit of insight on how to survive twelve years of psychological hell.

**Fred, George and Ginny were nowhere to be seen, though the path was packed with plenty of other people, all of them looking nervously over their shoulders towards the commotion back at the campsite. A huddle of teenagers in pajamas was arguing vociferously a little was along the path. When they saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, a girl with thick, curly hair turned and said quickly, "**_**Ou est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue -"**_

"They must be French," Lily said absently.

"They'll go to Beauxbatons then," said James casually.

"How do you know that?" Lily asked him, sounding surprised.

"My aunt went there," James answered with a shrug.

**"Er - what?" said Ron."**

"And Ron obviously doesn't speak French," said Lily, stifling a giggle.

**"Oh..." The girl who had spoken turned her back on him, and as they walked on they distinctly heard her say, "'Ogwarts." **

**"Beauxbatons," muttered Hermione.**

"I'm beginning to wonder if there is anything that Hermione doesn't know," said Remus in an amused tone.

"Yeah, she's even smarter than Moony!" said Sirius.

**"Sorry?" said Harry.**

"Harry must not know that other schools exist," said James, keeping his voice even.

**"They must go to Beauxbatons," said Hermione. "You know... Beauxbatons Academy of Magic... I read about it in **_**An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe**_**."**

"I wonder how many books she's read?" Lily mused out loud.

"Must have been a lot," said James, trying to stray his mind from the fact that Harry would have known about other magical schools if he and Lily had managed to raise him.

**"Oh... yeah... right," said Harry.**

"Now really Harry, surely you would have guessed that there was a school in France," Sirius teased as though Harry was right there.

"Oh, leave Harry alone," said Lily, laughing.

**"Fred and George can't have gone far," said Ron, pulling out his wand, lighting it like Hermione's, and squinting up the path. Harry dug in the pockets of his jacket for his own wand - but it wasn't there. **

The atmosphere in the room instantly became sober once more. "You don't think Harry might have left it at the tent do you?" asked Lily, sounding unsure of herself.

"It is possible," James admitted, though he didn't really believe it. Neither, from the looks of things, did his fellow marauders.

**The only things he could find were his Omnioculars.**

"Well, that negates that theory," said Lily, frowning. "There's no way that Harry would take his Omnioculars but not his wand."

"Well, hopefully it'll show up somewhere," said James, having a gut feeling that it was going to get worse before it got better.

**"Ah, no, I don't believe it... I've lost my wand!"**

"Do you think he lost it?" Sirius asked them, glancing up at three of the people he called family.

"It would be quite a coincidence if he did," said Remus.

**"You're kidding?"**

**Ron and Hermione raised their wands high enough to spread the narrow beams of light further on the ground; **

"I doubt it would be there," James said, brow furrowed in thought.

**Harry looked all around him, but his wand was nowhere to be seen.**

"Either it's been taken or he's left it at the tent," said Remus, frowning.

"Why am I getting a bad feeling that it's the former?" James asked rhetorically, but still getting an answer from Lily.

"Because it's Murphy's Luck. What can go wrong, will go wrong," she explained simply.

"Well, then I'm really not looking forward to the rest of this chapter," said Sirius, looking worried for his one and only godson.

**"Maybe it's back at the tent," said Ron.**

**"Maybe it fell out of your pocket when we were running?" Hermione suggested anxiously.**

"Well, I suppose that's possible," said James, though he still sounded disbelieving.

**"Yeah," said Harry, "maybe ..."**

**He usually kept his wand with him at all times in the wizarding world, **

"Smart boy," James murmured.

**and finding himself without it in the midst of a scene like this made him feel very vulnerable. **

James wasn't liking the fact that Harry happened to be in a dangerous situation without his wand either. His only consolation was that Harry was with his friends who were sure to try and protect them.

**A rustling noise made them all jump. **

"I hope it's not the Death Eaters," said Lily anxiously.

**Winky the house-elf was fighting her way out of a clump of bushes nearby. **

"What do they mean, fighting her way out?" asked Remus curiously.

**She was moving in a most peculiar fashion, apparently with great difficulty; it was as though someone invisible was trying to hold her back.**

"She probably didn't ask for permission from her master," said Sirius.

"Which is ridiculous. Some of these laws about House Elves really ought to be changed," said James.

"I wonder who her master is," said Lily, realizing that the only thing they knew about Winky's master was that he was rather important in wizarding society.

**"There is bad wizards about!" she squeaked distractedly, as she leant forwards and labored to keep running. **

Remus frowned and said, "You know, I don't think that that is the kind of reaction you get from disobeying your master."

"Moony's right, it isn't," said James. "I know mine just punished himself afterwards."

"Unless she was told specifically to stay in the tent," Sirius cut in. "In which case it would be the elf magic stopping her."

"You know Sirius, you really are showing a whole different side of you," said Lily, looking at him with her head cocked. "Doesn't mean you're getting away with not sleeping on the couch though," she added in a business tone, making Sirius' smile slip.

**"People high - high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!" **

"Personally, I think she has the right idea," Lily muttered.

"Why the heck would her master order her to stay?" Sirius said incredulously, shaking his head. "I swear, sometimes the wizarding world just plain sickens me."

"Sometimes?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrow. "What about Voldemort and Death Eaters?"

"I was referring to those that are supposedly on the 'good' side," Sirius corrected, "those idiots always sicken me. Morons."

"Unfortunately the world is not made up of black and white," Remus said wisely.

**And she disappeared into the trees on the other side of the path, panting and squeaking as she fought the force that was restraining her.**

"Wish I knew what that force was," Lily grumbled. "Really, why does Harry have to have so many damn _mysteries _in his life!"

**"What's up with her?" said Ron, looking curiously after Winky. "Why can't she run properly?"**

**"Bet she didn't ask permission to hide," said Harry. **

"See, Harry thinks the same as me," said Sirius.

**He was thinking of Dobby: Every time he had tried to do something the Malfoys wouldn't like, he had been forced to start beating himself up. **

"Well, really, I knew the Malfoy's were low but to treat a living creature like that?" huffed Lily. Then she got an evil glint in her eye as she said, "Sirius?" in a sweet voice that had to be fake.

"Yes…?" said Sirius cautiously.

"I don't suppose there's room for Lucius and Narcissa on that prank list of yours?" she said, still in that sweet voice.

"Lily, I like the way you think," James pronounced with a proud grin as Sirius added the names of the two Malfoys to his list of who to prank. Even Remus had a 'marauder' glint in his eye.

**"You know, house-elves get a **_**very**_** raw deal!" said Hermione indignantly. "It's slavery, that's what it is! That Mr. Crouch made her go up to the top of the stadium, **

"Wait, Mr Crouch is her master?" asked Lily, her focus shifting back onto the book.

"Apparently," said Remus.

"Typical," Sirius snorted. "There are people that are saying that Crouch gets more cold-hearted every day," he elaborated for Remus' and Lily's sakes.

"And apparently they've just been proved right," James completed for his best friend, gesturing a hand towards the book to prove his point.

**and she was terrified, and he's got her bewitched so she can't even run when they start trampling tents! Why doesn't anyone **_**do**_** anything about it?"**

"Because they're all used to it and nobody ever bothers to question it," said Remus simply.

"Which they really should," Sirius spoke. "The prejudice that Remus has to live through, just because he's a werewolf is really horrific."

"I know, especially since I don't know a kinder person anywhere," said Lily, smiling at a now blushing Remus. The prejudice had really ruined his self confidence, she remembered back when Harry was born, Remus didn't want to touch him because of fear that she and James wouldn't want him to.

Of course, when Lily had found out, she had held him at wand point until Remus picked Harry up and kept him on his lap for a suitable period of time.

**"Well, the elves are happy, aren't they?" said Ron. "You heard old Winky back at the match... 'House-elves is not supposed to have fun'... that's what she likes, being bossed around..." **

"Well, not particularly," said Remus, trying to bring the conversation back to something other than himself as his blush began to recede. "It's more that they're used to it and are probably scared of change."

**"It's people like **_**you**_**, Ron," Hermione began hotly, "who prop up rotten and unjust systems, just because they're too lazy to -" **

"Actually, she may have kind of a point about that," James said fairly. "It's that whole… what was that quote that you and Dumbledore used once, Lily?"

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing," Lily recited.

"That's the one," said James, nodding.

**Another loud bang echoed from the edge of the wood.**

"Hermione should probably leave the lecture till later and let them move," said James, sounding afraid for the safety of his son.

**"Let's just keep moving, shall we?" said Ron, and Harry saw him glance edgily at Hermione. Perhaps there was truth in what Malfoy had said; perhaps Hermione **_**was**_** in more danger than they were.**

"It's sweet of them to worry," cooed Lily.

"I don't think it matters either way, since there's no way the Death Eaters would know her parentage just by looking at her," said Remus.

"Well, it's still sweet," said Lily defiantly.

**They set off again, Harry still searching his pockets, even though he knew his wand wasn't there. **

"Stubborn, just like his parents," said Sirius, smiling and casting a fond look over to the little baby that was playing happily on his blanket, making gurgling noises.

**They followed the dark path deeper into the wood, still keeping an eye out for Fred, George and Ginny. They passed a group of goblins, who were cackling over a sack of gold they had undoubtedly won betting on the match, **

"Who on earth would bet with a goblin?" asked Sirius. "They're completely ruthless with gold!"

"Speaking from experience Padfoot?" asked James with a grin. His only answer was an unintelligible grunt.

**and who seemed quite unperturbed by the trouble on the campsite. Farther still along the path, they walked into a patch of silvery light, and when they looked through the trees, they saw three tall and beautiful veela standing in a clearing, **

"Oh, no," James groaned.

**surrounded by a gaggle of young wizards, all of whom were talking very loudly.**

"This'll be interesting," said Sirius gleefully.

"Men," said Lily simply.

**"I pull down about a hundred sacks of Galleons a year," one of them shouted. "I'm a dragon-killer for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures." **

"And if that's true I'll eat my broomstick," said James, trying and failing to stifle a snicker.

**"No, you're not," yelled his friend, "you're a dish-washer at the Leaky Cauldron ... but I'm a Vampire Hunter, I've killed about ninety so far -" **

"I'm with James," said Sirius, sniggering.

**A third young wizard, whose pimples were visible even by the dim, silvery light of the veela, now cut in, "I'm about to become the youngest Minister for Magic, I am."**

"Doubt it," Remus chuckled.

**Harry snorted with laughter. He recognized the pimply wizard: His name was Stan Shunpike, and he was in fact a conductor on the triple-decker Knight Bus.**

They all started laughing at that one, obviously trying to take advantage of the light heartedness before it start to get serious once more.

**He turned to tell Ron this, but Ron's face had gone oddly slack, **

"Oh dear," said Lily, still giggling. "Looks like Ron's fallen under the charm!

**and next second Ron was yelling, "Did I tell you I've invented a broomstick that'll reach Jupiter?" **

This made them all burst out laughing again.

**"**_**Honestly**_**!" said Hermione once again, and she and Harry grabbed Ron firmly by the arms, wheeled him around and marched him away. **

"Aw," Sirius groaned in mock disappointment.

**By the time the sounds of the veela and their admirers had faded completely, they were in the very heart of the wood. They seemed to be alone now; everything was much quieter.**

"Oh good, they can stay there until all the commotion is over," said Lily, sounding relieved.

**Harry looked around. "I reckon we can just wait here, you know, we'll hear anyone coming a mile off." **

"Yes, Harry, stick with that idea," said James brightly, hoping that this meant Harry would be safe.

**The words were hardly out of his mouth, **

"Should have known," said James crabbily.

"Murphy's law," said Remus.

**when Ludo Bagman emerged from behind a tree right ahead of them.**

"What on earth is Ludo Bagman doing there?" asked Lily.

"I'm sure… it's nothing," said Remus, not sounding convincing at all.

**Even by the feeble light of the two wands, Harry could see that a great change had come over Bagman. **

"That doesn't sound good," Sirius said, sitting up and exchanging a glance with James.

**He no longer looked buoyant and rosy-faced; there was no more spring in his step. He looked very white and strained. **

"What happened to him?" asked James suspiciously, obviously not nearly as obsessed with the Quidditch Legend as before.

"I don't know," said Remus, also looking suspicious and curious.

"Maybe it's because a group of Death Eaters have just attacked at the World Cup," said Lily in a logical and obvious voice.

The three men blushed at having missed the most obvious explanation.

**"Who's that?" he said, blinking down at them, trying to make out their faces. "What are you doing in here, all alone?"**

"Or, you know, maybe not," said Lily.

"I wonder what is up with him?" said Sirius.

"Let's just hope we'll find out later on in the book, eh?" said Remus, trying to sound optimistic.

**They looked at each other, surprised.**

**"Well - there's a sort of riot going on," said Ron.**

"A bit more than a riot," Sirius snorted under his breath.

**Bagman stared at them. **

**"What?" **

**"At the campsite... some people have got hold of a family of Muggles..."**

**Bagman swore loudly.**

"I wonder what he was doing that he didn't know about the Death Eaters?" asked Lily, chewing on her lip.

"Wish I knew," said James.

**"Damn them!" he said, looking quite distracted, and without another word, he Disapparated with a small **_**pop**_**. **

"That was strange," Remus said slowly, thinking over ideas of what that might have been about.

**"Not exactly on top of things, Mr. Bagman, is he?" said Hermione, frowning.**

"No, not quite, even though he was a brilliant beater," said James, somehow managing to sound both admiring and disapproving in the same sentence.

"I agree with Hermione," said Remus. "Something's up with him."

"The only question is what," Lily completed.

**"He was a great Beater, though," said Ron, **

"Damn straight," said James, though it seemed more out of habit then real admiration.

**leading the way off the path into a small clearing, and sitting down on a patch of dry grass at the foot of a tree. "The Wimbourne Wasps won the league three times in a row while he was with them." **

"Hey, that means they're gonna win twice more!" said Sirius, sounding ecstatic.

James' eyes had also lit up, "Can you imagine how much money we'd make off bets?"

"Oh, for goodness sakes stop being so irresponsible!" Lily and Remus snapped at them simultaneously then looked at each other in surprise.

**He took the small figure of Krum out of his pocket, set it down on the ground and watched it walk around for a while. Like the real Krum, the model was slightly duck-footed and round-shouldered, much less impressive on his splayed feet than on his broomstick. **

"That's generally the way it goes with famous Quidditch players," said Remus, cracking a grin, "They spend so much time in the air that they forget how to learn how to function on land properly!"

**Harry was listening out for noise from the campsite. Everything still seemed quiet; perhaps the riot was over.**

"Or perhaps you're so far away that you can't hear them," Remus pointed out.

"Stay there for a little while longer, it will be safer," Lily urged. **  
**  
**"I hope the others are OK," said Hermione after a while.**

"I'm sure they'll be fine," said Sirius confidently. 

**"They'll be fine," said Ron.**

**"Imagine if your Dad catches Lucius Malfoy," said Harry, **

"Mm, anyone catching Lucius Malfoy would be absolutely brilliant for me," said Sirius dreamily, making Remus and James chuckle at their best friend.

**sitting down next to Ron and watching the small figure of Krum slouching over the fallen leaves. "He's always said he'd like to get something on him."**

"Who wouldn't," said Sirius candidly.

James turned to the window. He hated to admit but he was jealous of Ron's father. Harry knew what Arthur was like, what he really wanted to do and just generally his personality but Harry knew absolutely nothing of the above about James.

As much as he wanted his son to have a father-figure, he wished that figure could be him.

**"That'd wipe the smirk off old Draco's face, all right," said Ron.**

**"Those poor Muggles, though," said Hermione nervously. "What if they can't get them down?" **

"Don't worry they will," said Lily. "Right?"

"Of course they will," said Sirius confidently.

**"They will," said Ron reassuringly, "They'll find a way."**

"Exactly," said Sirius, nodding his head.

**"Mad, though, to do something like that when the whole Ministry of Magic's out here tonight!" said Hermione. **

"Hermione's right, why would anyone do something like that with so much security around?" asked Lily.

"Their probably drunk or something," said Remus, shaking his head.

**"I mean, how do they expect to get away with it? Do you think they've been drinking, or are they just -"**  
**  
But she broke off abruptly and looked over her shoulder. **

"What? Is something wrong?" asked Lily sharply.

"You'll have to let me read if you want to find that out Lily," said Sirius, smirking a little.

"Oh. Right, sorry," said Lily with a small blush.

**Harry and Ron looked quickly around, too. It sounded as though someone was staggering towards their clearing. **

"Staggering? Could it be someone injured?" asked James, glancing at his friends.

"Don't know," said Sirius.

**They waited, listening to the sounds on the uneven steps behind the dark trees. But the footsteps came to a sudden halt.**

"I'm not liking this," said Lily, looking uneasy.

"I agree with Lily," said James flatly.

**"Hello?" called Harry. **

Lily groaned, "You shouldn't have spoken Harry!"

"But what if they are injured?" Remus argued, though not very passionately for he personally agreed with Lily.

**There was silence. Harry got to his feet and peered around the tree. **

"No Harry, just stay there until it's safe," said Lily, sounding like she was going to start hyperventilating at any moment.

**It was too dark to see very far, but he could sense somebody standing just beyond the range of his vision.**

"Doesn't matter son, just go back," James urged.

**"Who's there?" he said.**

James and Lily groaned and James added slightly bitterly, "Just why did Harry have to inherit that trait of mine?"

**And then, without warning, the silence was rent by a voice unlike any they had heard in the wood; and it uttered, not a panicked shout, but what sounded like a spell. **

"Oh no," said Lily, a hand over her mouth.

**"**_**MORSMORDRE!**_**" **

Sirius whispered the word quietly and James paled as he heard it. He had been on enough Death Eater raids to know that that was the incantation for the Dark Mark. But he had always hoped that Harry wouldn't have to see it.

------------------------

_I promise that the next chapter will be up soon! Please, let me know what you thought. :)_

_All words in bold belong to JK Rowling, I mean no offense in using them. _


	10. The Dark Mark Pt 2

_Enjoy the second part of the chapter, let me know what you thought!_

**---------------------**

**And something vast, green and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness Harry's eyes had been struggling to penetrate: it flew up over the treetops and into the sky. **

"Definitely the Dark Mark," said Sirius, frowning. Being an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix he had seen it plenty of times and each time it just made him sicker. He, like James, had also hoped that Harry would never have to see it.

**"What the -?" gasped Ron, as he sprang to his feet again, staring up at the thing that had appeared.**

"It doesn't sound as though Ron recognizes it," said Remus, sounding happy as he said it.

"What are you so cheerful about?" Sirius grumbled at him.

Remus rolled his eyes as he explained, "If Ron doesn't recognize it then that means it obviously isn't very common so the death and destruction doesn't happen nearly as often anymore."

"In other words the riot at the campsite was completely unexpected and not a proper representation of what usually happens in Harry's time," Lily concluded.

"Got any idea how they got that?" James asked Sirius.

"None," Sirius answered.

**For a split second, Harry thought it was another leprechaun formation. **

"If only," said Lily, her happiness deteriorating slightly.

"Don't worry Lily, I'm sure it will be fine," said James confidently.

**Then he realized that it was a colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.** **As they watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation.**

"Whoever wrote this sure know how to describe it well," said Lily with an arched eyebrow.

"It's a woman," said Sirius confidently. "No man would be able to describe things that way."

**Suddenly, the wood all around them erupted with screams. Harry didn't understand why, **

"It'll be because of the Dark Mark," said Sirius grimly.

James nodded and added, "Everyone will be wondering if someone's died or not."

**but the only possible cause was the sudden appearance of the skull, **

"Harry must not know what it symbolizes," said James, sounding incredibly happy about this fact. Looks like his wish about Harry not growing up during a time of war had come true. The only problem was that James and Lily weren't alive to enjoy it.

**which had now risen high enough to illuminate the entire wood, like some grisly neon sign. **

"Some grisly what?" James asked, confused.

"Neon, it's a muggle thing," Remus answered exasperatedly. "Honestly, you should have taken muggle studies."

**He scanned the darkness for the person who had conjured the skull, but he couldn't see anyone.**

"No, they will have disappeared as quickly as possible, as should you!" Lily exclaimed, sounding worried.

"They'll be fine, the Ministry will have noticed that something's up by now," James soothed her, though he looked a little tense himself.

**"Who's there?" he called again.**

**"Harry, come on, **_**move**_**!" Hermione had seized the back of his jacket, and was tugging him backwards. **

"Well, at least Hermione's got the right idea!" Lily exclaimed in relief.

"Let's just hope they listen," Remus said under his breath.

**"What's the matter?" said Harry, startled to see her face so white and terrified.**

"As glad as I am that Harry never had to see the Dark Mark, it might have been easier if he had," said James, sounding frustrated.

"Yeah Harry, let her explain later and get out of there," Sirius urged.

"On the bright side if any Death Eater's were still there they would have attacked by now," said Remus, trying to sound optimistic.

**"It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned, pulling him as hard as she could. **

"Go Hermione!" said Sirius, sounding very happy with the brunette at the moment.

"She seems the only one that actually knows what that sign means," said James.

**"You-Know-Who's sign!"**

**"**_**Voldemort's**_**-?"**

"Hey, Harry doesn't say You-Know-Who," said James, sounding incredibly happy about this fact.

**Harry, come **_**on**_**!" **

"Listen to her Harry," Lily urged, wanting him out of there.

**Harry turned - Ron was hurriedly scooping up his miniature Krum – **

"Men," said Lily in disgust. "Really, couldn't he have left it behind?"

**the three of them started across the clearing - but before they had taken more than a few hurried steps, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding them.**

"Who do you think they are?" asked Lily, sounding close to hysteria.

"I'm hoping it's the Ministry of Magic," said James, not sounding at all calm himself.

**Harry whirled around, and in a split second, he registered one fact: each one of these wizards had his wand out, and every wand was pointing right at himself, Ron and Hermione. **

"Well then GET OUT OF THE WAY!" they all yelled, making baby Harry whimper and clutch his stuffed animals (a dog, stag and wolf, they hadn't been able to find a stuffed rat yet) closer to himself for comfort.

Lily noticed and cooed to the frightened baby, "Oh, don't worry Harry, Mummy and Daddy just got scared." She tickled him, making the baby giggle and then he went back to playing with his toys happily.

Lily turned back to them, making Sirius and James exhale in relief at the fact that Harry had not used his newly learned word.

**Without pausing to think, he yelled, "DUCK!"**

"Good Harry," James praised, relieved.

"Has good reflexes," said Sirius, nodding his head and also sounding rather relieved himself.

**He seized the other two and pulled them down onto the ground. **

"Now Harry seems to be the only one thinking straight," Remus pointed out, in a both proud and relieved voice.

**"**_**STUPEFY!**_**" roared twenty voices - there was a blinding series of flashes and Harry felt the hair on his head ripple as though a powerful wind had swept the clearing. Raising his head a fraction of an inch he saw jets of fiery red light flying over them from the wizards' wands, crossing each other, bouncing off tree trunks, rebounding into the darkness -**

**"Stop!" yelled a voice he recognized. "STOP! **_**That's my son!**_**" **

"It must be Mr Weasley," said Lily, her eyes closing in relief.

James smiled, also relieved but it seemed rather strained. How he wished _he _had been the one there to protect Harry and his friends, stop them from stunning the three teenagers. In short, he wished he could be the one to be there for Harry.

**Harry's hair stopped blowing about. He raised his head a little higher. The wizard in front of him had lowered his wand. **

"Good!" snapped Lily, her temper beginning to return now she knew Harry was safe. The men wisely said nothing.

**He rolled over and saw Mr. Weasley striding towards them, looking terrified. "Ron - Harry -" his voice sounded shaky, "- Hermione - are you all right?"**

"What does he think?" said James. "I mean really, they ran away from a campsite where there was a riot, witnessed the Dark Mark being cast and just got attacked by nearly two dozen wizards."

"They're teenagers, they're not going to admit that it bothered them," Remus pointed out reasonably.

**"Out of the way, Arthur," said a cold, curt voice.**

**It was Mr. Crouch. **

James and Sirius exchanged an uneasy look.

**He and the other Ministry wizards were closing in on them. Harry got to his feet to face them. Mr. Crouch's face was taut with rage.**

"He does not think that one of the kids did it does he?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Knowing Crouch, he might," said James grimly. He had always gotten the feeling that Crouch would be trouble.

**"Which of you did it?" he snapped, his sharp eyes darting between them. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"**

"I don't believe it, what is he, absolutely insane?" asked Lily.

"Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if he was," said Remus. "He seems rather obsessed with catching wrongdoing."

**"We didn't do that!" said Harry, gesturing up at the skull. **

"Of course not, they're kids, they never even lived through Voldemort's reign, how on earth does he expect them to conjure it?" James snapped irritably.

**"We didn't do anything!" said Ron, who was rubbing his elbow, and looking indignantly at his father. "What did you want to attack us for?"**

"Because they're attack first, ask questions later kind of people," said Remus, rolling his eyes.

**"Do not lie, sir!" shouted Mr. Crouch. His wand was still pointing directly at Ron, and his eyes were popping - he looked slightly mad. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"**

"And does the fact that they are fourteen matter at all?" Sirius snapped. "The only thing they're doing with they're wand is casting a lumos."

"At this rate, I'm beginning to feel very glad that Fudge beat Crouch in the elections," huffed Lily.

**"Barty," whispered a witch in a long woolen dressing-gown, "they're kids, Barty, they'd never have been able to -"**

"Well, at least someone has some sense there," said Remus, rolling his eyes.

"Let's just hope that Crouch listens to them," said Lily.

"He'd better, if he knows whats good for him," James said slightly darkly.

**"Where did the Mark come from, you three?" said Mr. Weasley quickly.**

"Yes, that way Crouch won't have time to blame it all on Harry, Ron and Hermione," said Sirius approvingly.

"Do you think he would?" Lily asked him with a side glance.

"Honestly Lily? I don't know," said Sirius, hating to admit that he didn't know anything. He always had an answer to everything, even if that answer was simply, "Let's ask Moony!" or later on, "Let's ask Lily!"

**"Over there," said Hermione shakily, pointing at the place where they had heard the voice, "there was someone behind the trees ... they shouted words- an incantation-" **

**"Oh, stood over there, did they?" said Mr. Crouch, turning his popping eyes on Hermione now, disbelief etched all over his face. "Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy -"**

"He's absolutely insane," said Lily flatly.

"Obviously," said James, sounding incredulous. "Who on earth would believe that a fourteen year old girl could conjure the Dark Mark?"

**But none of the Ministry wizards apart from Mr. Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that Harry, Ron or Hermione had conjured the skull;**

"Well, at least they've got they're heads screwed on right," said Lily in relief.

"Let's just hope that they can override Crouch," said James.

**on the contrary, at Hermione's words, they has raised all their wands, and were pointing in the direction she had indicated, squinting through the dark trees. **

"Even if these guys attacked the trio, they seem to be making up for it now," said Remus approvingly. "At least they're trying to find out who actually caused the Dark Mark instead of accusing someone who couldn't have done it."

**"We're too late," said the witch in the woolen dressing-gown, shaking her head. "They'll have Disapparated."**

"Probably did," said Sirius.

"They might not have, depends whether they disapparated before the ministry apparated in," Remus reasoned.

"Well, we won't know unless we continue reading," said Lily, wanting to know how this disaster would end.

**"I don't think so," said a wizard with a scrubby brown beard. It was Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. "Our Stunners went right through those trees... there's a good chance we got them..." **

"They did show up a little late though," said James doubtfully.

"I'd say that there's a fifty-fifty chance that they catch the perpetrator," said Remus.

**"Amos, be careful!" said a few of the wizards warningly as Mr. Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, marched across the clearing and disappeared into the darkness. **

"Rather brave, isn't he?" said Lily idly.

"Not really, you heard him, he thinks the person is stunned," said James with a snicker.

"Yeah, he's probably just trying to seem tough," Sirius added, smirking.

**Hermione watched him vanish with her hands over her mouth. **

**A few seconds later, they heard Mr. Diggory shout.**

**"Yes! We got them! **

"They got them, huh?" said Sirius.

"I have to admit I wasn't expecting them to," said Lily.

"Neither was I," James admitted.

**There's someone here! Unconscious! It's- but- blimey..."**

"Sounds like he wasn't expecting whoever it was," said Remus.

"I wonder who it could be," Lily said curiously.

**"You've got someone?" shouted Mr. Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who? Who is it?" **

"What a moron," said James, rolling his eyes.

"Couldn't agree with you more, mate," said Sirius.

**They heard snapping twigs, the rustling of leaves, and then crunching footsteps as Mr. Diggory reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms. Harry recognized the tea towel at once. It was Winky.**

All of their jaws dropped. After several seconds, James spoke, "Well I can see why Diggory was surprised."

"Don't be ridiculous James, there's no way the elf could have done it!" said Lily sharply.

"Oh, I agree with you Lily," said James amicably. "I'm just saying that I'm surprised."

"You don't think they actually believe she did it do you?" asked Sirius disbelievingly.

"If they do, then I take back what I said about them actually doing something to catch the perpetrator," said Remus flatly.

**Mr. Crouch did not move or speak as Mr. Diggory deposited Mr. Crouch's elf on the ground at his feet. **

"Bet that's a surprise for him," said Lily dryly.

"I'd say that that's the last thing he was expecting," said James.

**The other Ministry wizards were all staring at Mr. Crouch.** **For a few seconds Crouch remained transfixed, his eyes blazing in his white face as he stared down at Winky. Then he appeared to come to life again. **

**"This - cannot - be," he said jerkily. "No -" **

"I agree with James, this is obviously the last thing he was expecting," said Sirius.

**He moved quickly around Mr. Diggory and strode off towards the place where he had found Winky. **

"He's trying to find someone to blame it on," said Remus.

"Probably embarrassed," Lily spoke up. "I mean, if he hates the Dark so much, then he's probably not to happy about his elf linking it to him."

**"No point, Mr. Crouch," Mr. Diggory called after him. "There's no one else there."**

**But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared to take his word for it. **

"Stubborn, isn't he," said James. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like someone else I know," said Lily, looking at the two men pointedly.

**They could hear him moving around, the rustling of leaves as he pushed the bushes aside, searching.**

**"Bit embarrassing," Mr. Diggory said grimly, looking down at Winky's unconscious form. "Barty Crouch's house-elf ... I mean to say ..." **

"He doesn't seriously think the elf did it though, does he?" asked Remus.

"Nah, wouldn't she need a wand?" Sirius put in.

"Miraculously, Sirius is right. Elves can't carry wands and I'm quite sure the Dark Mark needs a wand to be cast," said Lily knowledgably.

**"Come off it, Amos," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "you don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand."**

"If you ask me, Arthur is the only one there that's thinking straight," said James flatly.

"James is right, all the other just want someone to accuse," Sirius added, knowing quite well how the ministry worked after having worked there for the last year or so.

**"Yeah," said Mr. Diggory, "and she **_**had**_** a wand."**

"What?" asked Lily sharply.

"How did she get a hold of a wand?" asked Remus, just as sharply.

**"**_**What**_**?" said Mr. Weasley.**

**"Here, look." Mr. Diggory held up a wand and showed it to Mr Weasley. "Had it in her hand. **

"Something fishy is going on here," said James.

"What do you mean?" asked Lily.

"You saw how devoted to the rules Winky was. There's no way that she'd break the law," James said.

**So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken for a start. **_**No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand**_**." **

"Those laws are seriously outdated," said Sirius, shaking his head.

"Well, for them to get updated means that the Ministry has to stop taking bribes and start caring about things other than their own pockets," said James, slightly bitterly.

"In other words, it'll take a while," said Remus.

**Just then there was another **_**pop**_**, and Ludo Bagman Apparated right next to Mr. Weasley.** **Looking breathless and disorientated, he spun on the spot, goggling upwards at the emerald green skull. **

**"The Dark Mark!" he panted, almost trampling Winky as he turned enquiringly to his colleagues. **

"He only just noticed?" said James. "Alright, something's up with Ludo Bagman as well."

"This book had far to many mysteries," Lily muttered vindictively.

**"Who did it? Did you get them? Barty! What's going on?"**

**Mr Crouch had returned empty-handed. His face was still ghostly white, and his hands and his toothbrush moustache were both twitching.**

**"Where have you been, Barty?" said Bagman. **

"You know, that's a fair question," said Remus suspiciously. "Where has he been?"

"Hopefully we'll find out the answer in this chapter," said James with a sigh.

"I'm beginning to agree with Lily – this book has way to many mysteries," said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

**"Why weren't you at the match? Your elf was saving you a seat, too - Gulping gargoyles!" **

"Bagman seems to be a bit slow, doesn't he?" said Lily dryly. James nodded silently, not wanting to admit that a Quidditch hero could be up to something fishy or not be 'heroic' so to speak.

**Bagman had just noticed Winky lying at his feet. "What happened to **_**her**_**?"**

**"I have been busy, Ludo," said Mr. Crouch, still talking it the same jerky fashion, barely moving his lips. ****"And my elf has been Stunned." **

**"Stunned? By you lot, you mean? But why -?"**

"And now he gets it," Sirius announced like a commentator.

**Comprehension dawned suddenly on Bagman's round, shiny face; he looked up at the skull, down at Winky and then at Mr. Crouch.**

"Don't think he believes it," said James.

"I don't think _I _believe it," said Sirius.

**"**_**No!**_**" he said. "Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how! She'd need a wand for a start!"**

**"And she had one," said Mr. Diggory. "I found her holding one, Ludo. If it's all right with you, Mr. Crouch, I think we should hear what she's got to say for herself." **

"She'll be innocent," said Remus frowning. "Which means that who did do it?"

"Well, we'd better find out soon!" Lily grumbled.

**Crouch gave no sign that he had heard Mr. Diggory, but Mr. Diggory seemed to take his silence for assent. **

"Typical," Remus snorted, rolling his eyes.

**He raised his own wand, pointed it at Winky and said, "**_**Enervate**_**!" **

**Winky stirred feebly. Her great brown eyes opened and she blinked several times in a bemused sort of way. **

"Urgh, they should have gotten rid of some of the wizards, they'll scare her," said James, wincing.

**Watched by the silent wizards, she raised herself shakily into a sitting position. She caught sight of Mr. Diggory's feet, and slowly, tremulously raised her eyes to stare up into his face; then, more slowly still, she looked up into the sky. **

"And that will scare her even more," James added in a narrating voice.

**Harry could see the floating skull reflected twice in her enormous, glassy eyes. She gave a gasp, looked wildly around the crowded clearing and burst into terrified sobs.**

"Poor thing," said Lily sympathetically. "I do hope that they'll show her a little sympathy."

**"Elf!" said Mr Diggory sternly.** **"Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!" **

"Apparently not," said Sirius dryly. "This is what I hate about Head of Departments. They think that they can boss everyone around."

"Technically they can," Remus pointed out.

"Yeah, but they don't have to cruel about it," Sirius countered, for once winning an argument with logic.

**Winky began to rock backwards and forwards on the ground, her breath coming in sharp bursts. **

"I agree with Sirius, they could be a little kinder to her," James said, frowning.

**Harry was reminded forcibly of Dobby in his moments of terrified disobedience.**

"I don't think I want to know," said Lily calmly.

**"As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago," said Mr Diggory. **

"You know, he could call her by her name," Lily complained.

**"And you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"**

"Moron," Sirius muttered with an eye roll. "Probably thinks he's really important, scaring poor elf like that!"

**"I - I - I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasped. "I is not knowing how, sir!"**

**"You were found with a wand in your hand!" barked Mr. Diggory, brandishing it in front of her. **

"Just because she had a wand doesn't mean she would know how to cast a spell like that," Remus pointed out.

"They just want to catch someone that they're not listening to logic," Lily said with a sigh.

**And as the wand caught the green light that was filling the clearing from the skull above, Harry recognized it.**

"Why would he recognize it?" James asked, confused.

**"Hey - that's mine!" he said.**

"Well, that was an unexpected twist," said Sirius, looking taken aback.

"So then the next question is, how did Winky get Harry's wand?" asked Remus slowly.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Lily answered, looking quite confused at how the events were unraveling.  
**  
Everyone in the clearing looked at him. **

**"Excuse me?" said Mr. Diggory, incredulously.**

**"That's my wand!" said Harry. "I dropped it!"**

"I wouldn't have chosen those particular words," said Remus, wincing.

"Oh come on, there's no way that they'll believe that the person who weakened Voldemort conjured the Dark Mark," scoffed James.

**"You dropped it?" repeated Mr. Diggory in disbelief. "Is this a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"**

"I stand correct," James said incredulously.

"Lily had the right idea, they're just to eager to pin it on someone," said Sirius.

**"Amos, think who you're talking to!" said Mr. Weasley, very angrily. "Is Harry**_** Potter**_** likely to conjure the Dark Mark?" **

"Yes! Exactly!" James exclaimed.

"Like we were saying, it seems like Arthur is the only one that has his head screwed on right," said Remus dryly.

**"Er - of course not," mumbled Mr. Diggory. "Sorry ... carried away ..." **

**"I didn't drop it there, anyway," said Harry, jerking his thumb towards the trees beneath the skull. "I missed it right after we got into the wood." **

"So, whoever conjured the Mark, found Harry's wand and used it?" Lily said.

"I suppose so," said James.

**"So," said Mr. Diggory, his eyes hardening as he turned to look at Winky again, cowering at his feet. **

"I don't think I like Mr Diggory much," said Lily, scowling at the book.

**"You fund this wand, eh, elf? And you picked it up and thought you'd have some fun with it, did you?"**

"He's probably getting some kind of power trip or something," said Sirius in disgust.

**"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" squealed Winky, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed bulbous nose. "I is ... I is ... I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!" **

"Exactly, nobody would teach a house elf how to conjure that," said Remus.

"Besides, I think one of the kids would have recognized Winky's voice," Lily reasoned.

**"It wasn't her!" said Hermione. She looked very nervous, speaking up in front of all these Ministry wizards, yet determined all the same. **

"Well, good for Hermione!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yeah Hermione, you tell those Ministry morons that they're wrong," Sirius cheered.

**"Winky's got a squeaky little voice and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" She looked round at Harry and Ron, appealing for their support. **

"Help her out!" James exclaimed.

**"It didn't sound anything like Winky, did it?" **

**"No," said Harry, shaking his head. "It definitely didn't sound like an elf."**

"Good boy Harry," said James fondly.

**"Yeah, it was a human voice," said Ron.**

**"Well, we'll soon see," growled Mr. Diggory, looking unimpressed.**

"Oh, honestly, I agree with Sirius, this man is just getting a power trip," Lily huffed.

"It's typical of the ministry to assume their right and ignore all the evidence," said Remus, rolling his eyes.

**"There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?" **

"That's true," James conceded.

"Just keep reading, I want to know what happened," said Lily, shaking her head and having no idea what to make of the events that had transpired so far this chapter.

**Winky trembled and shook her head frantically, her ears flapping, as Mr. Diggory raised his own wand again, and placed it tip to tip with Harry's. **

**"**_**Prior Incantato!**_**" roared Mr. Diggory.**

**Harry heard Hermione gasp, horrified, **

"Doesn't bode well," said Remus with a wince.

**as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them, it looked as though it was made of thick grey smoke: the ghost of a spell.**

"Well, this isn't looking good for Winky," said James grimly.

"I still don't see how she knew the spell," Lily objected.

"Neither do I and I hope someone mentions that to Diggory," said Sirius.

**"**_**Deletrius!**_**" Mr. Diggory shouted, and the smoky skull vanished in a whisp of smoke. **

**"So," said Mr. Diggory with a kind of savage triumph, looking down upon Winky, who was still shaking convulsively.**

"Power Trip," they all said in unison.

**"I is not doing it!" she squealed, her eyes rolling in terror. "I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! **

"Exactly!" said Sirius. "How on earth would she know that spell?"

"I hate the whole I'm right, you're wrong persona of the ministry," said Lily, shaking her head in disgust.

**I is a good elf, I isn't using wands, I isn't knowing how!"**

"And there's another thing, how would she even know how to use a wand?" James demanded.

"It's pointless," said Sirius disgustedly, "They're convinced she's guilty and nothing will make them think otherwise."

**"**_**You've been caught red-handed, elf!**_**" Mr Diggory roared. "**_**Caught with the guilty wand in your hand!**_**"**

"What if she picked it up?" Lily just threw out widely, sure that the elf wasn't guilty.

"That's a possibility," said Remus slowly and thoughtfully.

**"Amos," said Mr. Weasley loudly, "think about it ... precious few wizards know how to do that spell ... where would she have learnt it?" **

"Thank you!" they all said exasperatedly and Lily added, "As seems to be usual, Arthur is the only one thinking straight."

"That's because the Ministry are a bunch of corrupt morons," said Sirius lightly, remembering the amount of times the plans of the Order had been foiled not by Death Eater's but by the Ministry who wanted all the glory.

**"Perhaps Amos is suggesting," said Mr Crouch, cold anger in every syllable, "that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"**

"Harsh, but completely true," said Lily.

"At least someone is putting Diggory in his place," said Sirius with a satisfied smile.

"Yeah, Crouch is probably higher up than Diggory," said James, also sounding satisfied.

**There was a deeply unpleasant silence. Amos Diggory looked horrified. "Mr. Crouch ... not ... not at all ..."**

"Yep, Crouch is better and Diggory is so gonna get embarrassed," said Sirius, sounding incredibly happy about this fact.

**"You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are **_**least**_** likely to conjure that Mark!" barked Mr. Crouch. "Harry Potter - and myself! **

"Yeah, like Harry would conjure the Dark Mark," Lily snapped her temper returning as she remembered them accusing her son of conjuring the mark.

**I suppose you are familiar with the boy's story, Amos?" **

**"Of course - everyone knows -" muttered Mr. Diggory, looking highly discomforted.**

"Everyone knows huh?" James whistled. "That's my boy!"

**"And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given , over a long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?" Mr. Crouch shouted, his eyes bulging again.**

"He sounds like the type that'd turn his own family to the Dementors if they practiced the Dark Arts," muttered Remus.

"It's true though, he's always trying to pass laws to have harsher penalties for being a Death Eater," James said.

**"Mr. Crouch, I - I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" muttered Amos Diggory, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.**

"Except that there aren't all that many places a house elf could learn a spell like that except for their master?" Remus said logically.

**"If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Mr. Crouch. "Where else would she have learnt to conjure it?" **

"Exactly."

**"She - she might've picked it up anywhere -"**

"That's a weak argument," said Sirius, sounding quite unimpressed.

**"Precisely, Amos," said Mr Weasley. "**_**She might have picked it up anywhere**_** ... Winky?" he said kindly, turning to the elf, but she flinched as though he, too, was shouting at her.**

"Poor thing," Lily said once more.

_Women, _James and Sirius though while rolling their eyes though they to were feeling a little sympathetic towards Winky.

**"Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?" **

"Yeah, she might have picked up the wand after the Mark was conjured!" James exclaimed, comprehension dawning.

"Sounds far more likely then Winky conjuring it," said Lily approvingly.

**Winky was twisting the hem of her tea-towel so violently that it was fraying beneath her fingers.**

**"I - I is finding it ... finding it there, sir ..." she whispered. "there ... in the trees, sir ..."**

**"You see, Amos?" said Mr. Weasley. "Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, leaving Harry's wand behind. **

"But how did they get Harry's wand?" asked Remus suddenly.

"They probably found it in the forest," said Sirius confidently.

**A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. **

"Exactly," said Sirius smugly.

**And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up."**

"So they terrorized the poor thing for no reason whatsoever!" Lily said angrily.

**"But then, she'd have been feet away from the real culprit!" said Mr. Diggory impatiently. "Elf? Did you see anyone?"**

"_Why _does he have to continue to call her elf and treat her as though she is less than him?" Lily asked exasperatedly.

"Because that's probably what he does think," said Remus bitterly, unfortunately accustomed to the prejudice of the wizarding world.

**Winky began to tremble worse then ever. Her giant eyes flickered from Mr. Diggory to Ludo Bagman, and on to Mr. Crouch.**

**Then she gulped, and said, "I is seeing no one, sir ... no one ..." **

"The plot thickens," said Sirius, intrigued.

"Even more," said Lily bitterly. "Wait, why does it thicken now?"

"Because she's lying," said Sirius.

"She might not be," James said doubtfully.

"I don't think she is," Remus said.

"For now, let's assume that she's telling the truth, alright?" Lily said. "I don't think I could handle any more of these mysteries!"

"If this is what Harry's life is constantly like, it's a good thing he didn't inherit Lily's hate of mysteries or he'd have gone insane!" Sirius cracked to James under his breath,

**"Amos," said Mr. Crouch curtly, "I am fully aware that, in the ordinary course of events, you would want to take Winky into your department for questioning. I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her." **

"Something's up," James said quietly.

Seeing Lily's confused look, he elaborated, "Crouch is a stiffly for the rules, so why is he asking to break them?"

"Who knows," said Remus.

**Mr. Diggory looked as though he didn't think much of this suggestion at all, but it was clear to Harry that Mr. Crouch was such an important member of the Ministry that he did not dare refuse him. **

"Typical," said Sirius bitterly, "Using his power in the ministry to get what he wants."

**"You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch added coldly.**

"He's going to punish her for no reason?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Typical," James said disgustedly.

**"M-m-master ..." Winky stammered, looking up at Mr. Crouch, her eyes brimming with tears. "M-m-master, p-p-please ..." **

**Mr. Crouch stared back, his face somehow sharpened, each line upon it more deeply etched. There was no pity in his gaze.**

"I really don't like him," said Lily.

"Join the club," all three men said simultaneously.

**"Winky has behaved tonight in a manner I would not have believed possible," he said slowly. "I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went out to sort out the trouble. And I find that she has disobeyed me.**

"Oh for goodness sake!" Lily exclaimed. "He expected her to stay in the tent while people are trampling them?"

"He's an idiot," said James flatly. "A pure, moronic, stupid idiot."

_**This means clothes**_**." **

"What!" they all yelled.

"He's going to fire her for being scared?!" Lily exclaimed.

"I agree with James," said Sirius grimly. "He's an idiot."

**"No!" shrieked Winky, prostrating herself at Mr Crouch's feet. "No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"**

**Harry knew that the only way to turn a house-elf free was to present it with proper garments. It was pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea-towel as she sobbed over Mr. Crouch's feet. **

Sirius mentally added Crouch to his 'moronic people to prank/hex at any given opportunity list' even though he doubted it would be possible for him to do anything to Crouch, him being such an important Ministry member.

Remus seemed to sense these thoughts and whispered in Sirius' ear quietly so nobody else would hear, "Think back a few chapter to Fred, George and Percy." Sirius beamed when comprehension dawned and he made himself a note to find some way to find someone that worked with dragons.

**"But she was frightened!" Hermione burst out angrily, glaring at Mr Crouch. **

"Go Hermione!" Lily said, unaware of what had just transpired between Sirius and Remus.

**"You elf's scared of heights, and those wizards in the masks were levitating people! You can't blame her for wanting to get out of their way!" **

"Yeah, tell him off Hermione," said Sirius, fully on her side.

**Mr. Crouch took a step backwards, freeing himself from contact with the elf, whom he was surveying as though she was something filthy and rotten that was contaminating his over-shined shoes. **

"She seemed far better than you ever could be," snapped Lily, firing up.

"Couldn't agree with you more Lils," James said a little coldly.

**"I have no use for a house-elf who disobeys me," he said coldly, looking up at Hermione. **

"Oh, so you would prefer for her to get trampled on by Death Eaters," Lily snapped again.

"Oh, I know, after all, who cares what happens to her as long as she obeys her orders," said Sirius, his sarcasm obvious to all.

**"I have no use for a servant who forgets what is due to her master, and to her master's reputation." **

James groaned and said disgustedly, "Of course, Melin forbid that his precious _reputation _is tainted."

"This is making me very glad that Fudge beat Crouch in the elections," said Lily.

**Winky was crying so hard that her sobs echoed around the clearing.** **There was a very nasty silence, which was ended by Mr. Weasley, who said quietly, "Well, I think I'll take my lot back to the tent, if nobody's got any objections. Amos, that wand's told us all it can - if Harry could have it back, please -" **

"Yeah, go Mr Weasley get the kids out of here," said Remus quietly.

"They shouldn't have to suffer just because the ministry is to bigheaded to realize that they're wrong," Lily added.

**Mr. Diggory handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it. **

"Don't lose it," said James and Lily concernedly in unison making Sirius cough to cover up a laugh.

**"Come on, you three," Mr. Weasley said quietly. But Hermione didn't seem to want to move; her eyes were still upon the sobbing elf. **

"No, I get that you want to help the elf, but for now go back to campsite," said James.

"Get Crouch fired later," Sirius added in helpfully.

**"Hermione!" Mr. Weasley said, more urgently. **

"I knew she was smart," said Remus fondly.

**She turned and followed Harry and Ron out of the clearing and off through the trees. **

**"What's going to happen to Winky?" said Hermione, the moment they had left the clearing.**

"Why am I getting the feeling that she's going to obsess over this?" asked Sirius cautiously.

"Because she seems like the type to do that?" James offered.

**"I don't know," said Mr. Weasley.**

**"The way they were treating her!" said Hermione furiously. **

"I agree with her on that count," said Lily.

"So do I," James added.

**"Mr. Diggory calling her 'elf' all the time ... and Mr. Crouch! He knows she didn't do it and he's still going to sack her! He didn't care how frightened she'd been, or how upset she was - it was like she wasn't even human!"**

**"Well, she's not," said Ron.**

"He shouldn't have said that," said James, his lips twitching.

"No, Hermione's not going to be to happy," said Sirius, looking as though he was fighting to keep from bursting into laughter.

**Hermione rounded on him. **

"She's gonna blow!" Sirius said in sing-song voice.

**"That doesn't mean she hasn't got feelings, Ron, it's disgusting the way -"**

**"Hermione, I agree with you," said Mr. Weasley quickly, **

"Huh, smart, stop her before she gathers up steam," said James knowledgably.

"I wanted to see her start yelling at Ron!" Sirius whined.

"If I understand they're relationship well, I'm guessing that that's not going ot be the only opportunity Ron will give her," said Remus with his lips twitching.

**beckoning her on, "but now is not the time to be discussing elf rights. I want to get back to the tent as fast as we can. What happened to the others?"**

"Oh dear, I do hope that the others are alright," said Lily, sounding worried.

"I'm sure they're fine," said James.

**"We lost them in the dark," said Ron. "Dad, why was everyone so uptight about that skull thing?" **

"Skull thing," Sirius snorted. "They really don't know what it's like now, do they?

"I would consider that a very good thing," said James brightly.

"Well, unfortunately they're going to find out now," said Remus.

"At least it's not because someone actually died," said James optimistically.

**"I'll explain everything back at the tent," said Mr. Weasley tensely. **

**But when they reached the edge of the wood, their progress was impeded.**

"Oh, the public will want to know what's going on," said James.

"Do you think that Rita Skeeter is around in that time?" asked Sirius.

"Oh Merlin, I hope not," said James, absolutely horrified.

"Wait, Rita Skeeter, that new reporter at the prophet," asked Lily.

"Her goal in life is to ruin as many reputations as possible," said James.

"Oh, I'm sure she's not that bad," said Lily, dismissing his claim with a wave of her hand.

**A large crowd of frightened-looking witches and wizards were congregated there, and when they saw Mr. Weasley coming towards them, many of them surged forward.**

**"What's going on in there?" **

**"Who conjured it?" **

**"Arthur - it's not - **_**Him**_**?" **

"You'd think that they would notice if it was Voldemort," said Lily scathingly. "I mean, really."

**"Of course it's not Him," said Mr. Weasley impatiently. "We don't know who it was, it looks like they Disapparated. Now excuse me, please, I want to get to bed."**

"Simple and to the point," said Sirius approvingly.

"It won't pacify them," said James.

"No, but it will let Arthur get the kids out of there," Sirius answered.

**He led Harry, Ron and Hermione through the crowd and back into the campsite. All was quiet now; there was no sign of the masked wizards, though several ruined tents were still smoking.\**

"Hope the people in them are alright," said Lily idly.

"They'll be fine, the ministry will fix them right up," said James comfortingly. "Well, right after they finish accusing random people of conjuring the Dark Mark," he amended on second thought.

**Charlie's head was poking out of the boys' tent. **

**"Dad, what's going on?" he called through the dark. "Fred, George and Ginny got back OK, but the others -"**

"See, Lily, all the other's are fine," said James brightly.

**"I've got them here, said Mr. Weasley, bending down and entering the tent. Harry, Ron and Hermione entered after him.**

**Bill was sitting at the small kitchen table, holding a bedsheet to his arm, which was bleeding profusely. **

"He'll be fine," James said, seeing and interpreting Lily's look correctly.

**Charlie had a large rip in his shirt, and Percy was sporting a bloody nose. Fred, George and Ginny looked unhurt, though shaken. **

"See, it's just a few minor injuries," said Sirius. "And none are the worse for wear."

**"Did you get them, Dad?" said Bill sharply. "The person who conjured the Mark?"**

**"No," said Mr. Weasley. "We found Barty Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the Mark."**

**"**_**What?**_**" said Bill, Charlie and Percy together.**

**"Harry's wand?" said Fred.**

**"**_**Mr. Crouch's elf?**_**" said Percy, sounding thunderstruck.**

"Why that prat!" said Lily, surprising the men. "He thinks that the fact that his boss' elf had a wand is worse than the fact that it was Harry's wand that was used to conjure it?"

"Percy's just another one that cares far to much for his reputation," said Sirius with a roll of his eyes.

**With some assistance from Harry, Ron and Hermione, Mr. Weasley explained what had happened in the woods. When they had finished their story, Percy swelled indignantly. **

"I'm not going to like what he ahs to say, I just know it," said Lily, her eyes flashing dangerously.

**"Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!" he said. **

"Why that…" said Lily with narrowed eyes.

**"Running away when he'd expressly told her not to ... embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry ... how would that have looked, if she'd been had up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control -"**

"Who cares how it looked," snapped Sirius. "Honestly, I can see how they're alike – image seems to be the only thing that matters to them!"

"I'm sure that they'd make the right decision if they were forced to," Lily reasoned. "They can't be so caught up on image that they would sacrifice everything."

"Well, we'll see," said Remus.

**"She didn't do anything- she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione snapped at Percy, **

"Go Hermione!" James and Sirius cheered.

"You show him what's really important," James added.

**who looked very taken aback. Hermione had always got on fairly well with Percy - better, indeed, than any of the others. **

"Probably because they're the only ones that find school work truly important," said Remus. "Well, other than Mrs Weasley.

**"Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!" said Percy pompously, recovering himself.**

"Oh, I'm really beginning to hate him," Lily muttered vindictively.

"Like I said," said Sirius, "Image is everything to them."

**"She didn't run amok!" shouted Hermione. "She just picked it up off the ground!"**

"Exactly!" Lily exclaimed. "Explain to me how that is considered running amok!"

"It is when the master considers himself to be all-important," said Sirius.

**"Look, can someone just explain what that skull thing was?" said Ron impatiently. "It wasn't hurting anyone... Why's it such a big deal?"**

"Can you believe that in only a few years, it would be common for kids that age to not know what the Dark Mark means?" asked Remus in wonderment.

"I love it," James confessed.

"Yes, kids can grow up without fearing that their families will be declared dead any day," Lily added.

**"I told you, it's You-Know-Who's symbol, Ron," said Hermione, before anyone else could answer. **

"How does she know about it?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah, Ron's more likely to know as a pure-blood," James agreed.

**"I read about it in **_**The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts**_**." **

Sirius blinked and said, "That'd do it."

James was looking dreamy, "Can you imagine opening that book and seeing Voldemort on the 'fall' side?"

**"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," said Mr. Weasley quietly. **

"That would explain why everyone panicked," said Lily thoughtfully. "After all, nowadays, it's practically a common sight."

**"Of course people panicked ... it was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."**

"I wouldn't go that far," said Sirius, taken aback.

"Well, the times have definitely changed," said Remus, "And not for the worse either." _Though _he added silently, looking at his best friends, _I wish it didn't have such a high price._

**"I don't get it," said Ron, frowning. "I mean ... it's still only a shape in the sky ..."**

"It's not just a shape in the sky," said Lily with a small smile.

"Besides, it's not the shape that bothers people," said Remus. "It's more the meaning behind it."

**"Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed," said Mr. Weasley. "The terror it inspired... you have no idea, you're too young. **

"I hated it when my parents would say that to me," said James.

**Just picture coming home, and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside ..." Mr. Weasley winced. **

"It's absolutely horrible," said Sirius quietly, having had to go to houses with the Dark Mark as an Auror.

**"Everyone's worst fear ... the very worst ..." **  
**  
There was silence for a moment. Then Bill, removing the sheet from his arm to check on his cut, said, "Well, it didn't help us tonight, whoever conjured it. It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it.**

"Why would it scare them away?" asked James, confused.

"Search me," said Sirius, just as confused.

**They all Disapparated before we'd got near enough to unmask any of them. We caught the Robertses before they hit the ground, though. **

"Well, that's good at least," said Lily, sounding thoroughly relieved.

**They're having their memories modified right now."**

**"Death Eaters?" said Harry. "What are Death Eaters?"**

James smiled and Sirius gave a whoop, making Lily and Remus laugh at them.

"Oh, come on, Harry didn't have to grow up in a world haunted by Death Eater's, surely that's a reason to celebrate!" James urged with a smile.

"I'm as pleased as you are James but I would like to finish this chapter," said Lily with a laugh.

**"It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves," said Bill. "I think we saw what's left of them tonight - the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway."**

"Well, at least they managed to send some of them to Azkaban," said Sirius.

"Wonder how many of them got off?" Remus wondered.

**"We can't prove it was them, Bill," said Mr. Weasley. **

"Oh please," scoffed Sirius, "It definitely was."

**"Though it probably was," he added hopelessly.**

**"Yeah, I bet it was!" said Ron suddenly. "Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods, and he as good as told us his dad was one of those nutters in masks! And we all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!"**

"Ha, knew it," said James darkly.

"Try and pass it on at the next Order meeting," Lily suggested. "Though I doubt this book would quite count as substantial proof, seeing as Draco didn't exactly say that his father was out there with the masks."

**"But what were Voldemort's supporters -" Harry began.**

"Good Harry," said James, pleased. "Don't be scared of saying his name."

**Everybody flinched - like most in the wizarding world, the Weasleys always avoided saying Voldemort's name. **

"He's been gone for thirteen years and they're still scared of saying his name?" asked James. "That's just ridiculous!"

**"Sorry," said Harry quickly. "What were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what's the point?" **

"There was no point," snorted Sirius.

"They're just trying to prove that they're better or that they're still at large," said Remus.

**"The point?" said Mr Weasley, with a hollow laugh. "Harry, that's their idea of fun. **

"The sickos," said Sirius angrily.

**Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun.** **I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them," he finished disgustedly. **

**"But if they **_**were**_** Death Eaters, why did they Disapparate when they saw the Dark Mark?" said Ron. "They'd have been pleased to see it, wouldn't they?"**

"That's what I thought," said Sirius, exchanging a glance with James.

**"Use your brains, Ron," said Bill. "If they really were Death Eaters, they worked really hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power, and told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. **

"In other words they betrayed him," Remus concluded.

"And he would be none to happy if he ever found out," Lily finished.

**I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he'd lost his powers, and went back to their daily lives... I don't reckon he'd be over-pleased with them, do you?"**

"No, not really," said Sirius.

"I would say furious would be slightly closer to the truth," Remus added.

"And even then it would be an understatement," James finished.

**"So ... whoever conjured the Dark Mark ..." said Hermione slowly, "were they doing it to show support for the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?" **

"That's a fair point," said Lily, looking at the others.

"The flipside is that they would have had to at the very least known a Death Eater to know how to conjure it," said James.

**"Your guess is as good as ours, Hermione," said Mr Weasley. "But I'll tell you this... it was only the Death Eaters who ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now... **

"I think he's right," said Sirius.

"Which means that it was most likely a foe," said James grimacing.

**Listen, it's very late, and if your mother hears what's happened she'll be worried sick. **

"He's not kidding," said James, wincing.

"She'll hug them so hard that they won't be able to breath," said Sirius, laughing.

**We'll get a few more hours' sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here." **

"Good idea," said Lily approvingly.

Harry got back into his bunk with his head buzzing. He knew he ought to feel exhausted: it was nearly three in the morning, but he felt wide awake - wide awake and worried.

"Oh no Harry, why are you worried," cooed Lily, once more forgetting the fact that Harry (at least the fourteen-year-old) couldn't hear her.

**Three days ago - it felt like much longer, but it had only been three days - he had awoken with his scar burning. And tonight, for the first time in thirteen years, Lord Voldemort's Mark had appeared in the sky. **

"Is it connected?" James asked.

"It appears that Harry thinks so," said Remus.

**What did these things mean?**

"Unfortunately we have no clue," said Lily, sounding quite upset about that fact.

**He thought of the letter he had written to Sirius before leaving Privet Drive. **

"Maybe you know something about what's up, Padfoot," said James, sounding hopeful.

"Maybe," said Sirius, hoping that he at the very least could calm Harry down if not give him answers.

**Would Sirius have answered it yet? When would he reply?**

"Don't worry Harry, I'm sure I'll reply the second I get the chance," Sirius said reassuringly – except he said it to baby Harry who was looking at his godfather, quite confused.

**Harry lay looking up at the canvas, but no flying fantasies came to him now to ease him to sleep, and it was a long time after Charlie's snores filled the tent that Harry finally dozed off.**

"Oh, poor Harry," said Lily, upset.

"Come on, Dumbledore probably expects us for lunch," said James, looking at his watch.

"Yeah, and I'm starving," Sirius said brightly.

Lily went over to Harry and cooed to him as she picked him up, "Hey, are you hungry. Does my little baby want to go eat with Daddy, Mummy, Uncle Paddy and Uncle Moony?"

Harry looked up at her, looking a little confused and said a single word.

"Bastard?"

--------------------------

_Again, please review!_


	11. Mayhem at the Ministry

_I know some of you were annoyed that the last chapter was in two parts, but I just honestly felt it was too long to post together._

_To make up for it, this one has literally as many comments as I could possibly fit in! :) It is also a little different from the original. I think those that didn't completely like the previous version will like this one. Enjoy, and please let me know what you thought._

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the words in bold.**_

**--------------------**

Lily strode into the Great Hall, practically glowing with temper and holding her innocent baby in her arms. Her innocent baby that her _idiotic _husband and his best friend had corrupted.

Harry was still saying the word happily (though thankfully quietly), completely unaware of the trouble he was getting his Daddy and Uncle Paddy in. Then again, maybe he did know. That was the problem with marauder heirs.

Much to the amusement of much of the Hogwarts staff who were also there, the redheaded witch was being followed by three of the infamous marauders, two of whom were practically whimpering as they trailed after her cautiously.

"Come in, I was wondering if you would join us," Dumbledore proclaimed, his twinkling eyes the only thing betraying the fact that he was enjoying the spectacle in front of him.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster," said Lily courteously and then in a completely different voice snapped at Sirius, James and Remus for good measure, "Sit, Eat and a single peep out of you and I will have your heads!"

The three men instantly sat and looked down with red cheeks while the teachers tried to (unsuccessfully) stifle their laughter. Professor McGonagall especially seemed to find the sight enjoyable considering how hard she had tried to keep the pranksters under control.

Meanwhile, Lily once more showed an abrupt shift of mood as she said to her to her son, "Hey, is my Harry hungry? How about something to eat, huh?" Harry gurgled as Lily spooned baby food to her son, interchanging between feeding the boy and eating herself.

"So, are you going to be staying at the castle for a few days?" Professor McGonagall asked, barely able to conceal her amusement at the marauders who were currently picking at their food, faces red and heads down. She'd give nearly anything to know what had happened before to have caused this. Who would have thought that the marauders could be humiliated by a single woman?

"I'm not completely sure, but we will most likely be staying for a few days, yes," Lily said to her former Transfiguration teacher calmly.

"Well, you are more than welcome to stay," Professor Dumbledore said warmly, his eyes still twinkling.

"Thank you Professor," said Lily, trying to look at him and feed Harry at the same time.

"And I'm sure Harry will enjoy his stay at the castle, right Harry," said Dumbledore, turning to the green-eyed baby.

Remus had a mantra going through his head as he looked at Harry who was looking at the Hogwarts Headmaster quizzically; _Don't use your new word. Don't use your new word. PLEASE don't use your new word! _

"Bastard?" came Harry's answer in his innocent baby tones, making Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout choke on their food and Dumbledore's eyes twinkle all the more.

_So much for that _Remus thought gloomily as James started to hit his head against the table. Sirius just groaned.

"Actually, Harry, my parents were quite definitely married when they had me, although there were some rumours going around," Dumbledore responded to the young toddler good naturedly.

Everybody looked at Dumbledore strangely, though Lily was muttering furiously, "Stupid, _idiotic _husband and his stupid best friend. Pivotal point in learning… _my_ son! That word… Gonna wish…"

Finally, after twenty more minutes, their torture was over as Lily bade them goodbye, as did Harry, though thankfully not with his new word.

They returned to their quarters where Lily put Harry down into his cot for a nap and the men sat down on the couch and waited for the redhead to join them.

Lily turned to the marauders and glared at them, saying icily, "Will one of you please pass me the book?"

James did so, and winced when Lily sat down and made herself comfortable… on the opposite side of the couch from him.

**CHAPTER TEN **

**MAYHEM AT THE MINISTRY**

"That doesn't sound too good," said James, not quite as loudly as he normally would, though if that was because he didn't want to antagonize his wife or because he didn't want to wake his son up, none of them could tell.

Sirius also spoke up, "It'll be people complaining about security and whatnot."

"Most likely," Lily agreed, her voice not quite so icy anymore.

**Mr. Weasley woke them after only a few hours' sleep. **

"Poor things, they're really not having luck with that are they?" said Remus, shaking his head sympathetically.

"You mean sleep?" Lily clarified. When Remus nodded, she continued, "No, they're not. But I suppose they can make it up at the Burrow."

**He used magic to pack up the tents, **

"He must really be worried to miss the opportunity to do things the muggle way," said Sirius lightly. Lily gave Sirius a small smile, knowing that Sirius was just trying to get their minds off of _why _Mr Weasley had decided to use magic in a muggle area.

**and they left the campsite as quickly as possible, **

"Smart idea, make the mother worry less," James said under his breath. He had long ago vowed to never make Lily worry because the only thing that would happen would be: a) he would have to sleep on the couch… again and b) Harry would most likely get suffocated. Then again, James himself would most likely do the second if anything ever happened to his son. But that was beside the point.

**passing Mr. Roberts at the door of his cottage. Mr. Roberts had a strange, dazed look about him, **

"They would have had to have modified his memories," said Remus, wincing as he remembered what had happened to the poor man and his family in the previous chapter.

**and he waved them off with a vague "Merry Christmas".**

"Is that normal?" asked Lily, sounding surprised.

"Not usually," James responded, frowning.

"I suppose it would be because of the magnitude of the event they had to make him forget," said Remus, also frowning as he struggled to remember this from his lessons.

"Moony, next time try saying it in English," Sirius said, effectively breaking the tension as they all laughed.

**"He'll be all right," said Mr. Weasley quietly, as they marched off onto the moor. **

"Yeah, a few days and he'll be as good as new," said Remus reassuringly.

**"Sometimes, when a person's memory's modified, it makes them a bit disorientated for a while... **

"That's right," Lily said, mainly to herself than to the men around her. "I can't believe I forgot that."

**and that was a big thing they had to make him forget." **

"No kidding," James snorted.  
**  
They heard urgent voices as they approached the spot where the Portkeys lay, **

"Sounds like a few other people had the same idea as Mr Weasley," said Lily with a small smile.

**and when they reached it, they found a great number of witches and wizards gathered around Basil, **

Lily blinked and said, "Or, you know, maybe a lot."

"Not surprising, they'll all want to get back to their loved ones," said Sirius, exchanging a glance with James. They had all had plenty of experience with those ideas.

**the keeper of the Portkeys, all clamouring to get away from the campsite as quickly as possible.**

"Also not surprising, they probably want to get as far away from where the Mark was cast as possible," Remus said.

"Great big eyesore, promise of certain death, oh yeah, I can totally see why people would want to hang around," said Sirius, his sarcasm obvious to everyone.

**Mr. Weasley had a hurried discussion with Basil; they joined the queue, and were able to take an old rubber tyre back to Stoatshead Hill before the sun had really risen. **

Surprisingly, Sirius didn't say anything. As much as he had joked about it, he wanted his godson out of that place, the quicker the better.

**They walked back through Ottery St. Catchpole towards The Burrow in the dawn light, talking very little because they were so exhausted, **

"Poor things," said Lily softly.

"Don't worry Lily, like you said, they just need to catch up on some sleep and they'll be fine," said James confidently, hiding his own eagerness for his son to get somewhere safe.

**and thinking longingly of their breakfast.**

This made Lily roll her eyes as Sirius, James and Remus all gave a laugh.

"Typical, their campsite is attacked by Death Eaters less than twelve hours beforehand and all they can think about is breakfast," said Lily, amusement easily heard in her voice.

**As they rounded the corner in the lane and The Burrow came into view, a cry echoed along the damp lane.**

"Mrs Weasley," James and Lily said in unison. They both knew that if it had been Harry, they also would have been waiting outside for him and Mrs Weasley had had seven of her children there.

**"Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley, who had evidently been waiting for them in the front yard, **

"Wonder how long she had been waiting there?" Sirius mused out loud, hiding his bitterness at the thought that his mother would never have done anything like that for him.

**came running towards them, still wearing her bedroom slippers, her face pale and strained, a screwed-up copy of the **_**Daily Prophet**_** clutched in her hand. **

"Wonder what's written in the Daily Prophet," Remus wondered out loud.

"Depends on the reporter," Sirius answered. "Let's just hope Rita Skeeter has been fired by now."

**"Arthur - I've been so worried - **_**so worried**_** -" **

"Who wouldn't be," Lily said under her breath.

**She flung her arms around Mr. Weasley's neck, and the **_**Daily Prophet**_** fell out of her limp hand onto the ground. Looking down, Harry saw the headline: SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP, complete with a twinkling, black-and-white photograph of the Dark Mark over the tree-tops.**

"Why would they want to print a picture of that thing?" Sirius asked in bewilderment.

"Shock people," Remus responded grimly. "Especially if the war ended thirteen years ago. If they saw the Dark Mark on the front page, I guarantee that not a single person would not buy it."

**"You're all right," Mrs. Weasley muttered distractedly, releasing Mr. Weasley and staring around at them all with red eyes, "you're alive ... oh, **_**boys**_** ..." **

Sirius looked at Lily and James, wondering what their reactions would have been if anything like that happened. He couldn't tell whether it would be worse or the same as Mrs Weasleys. After all, 'he who has but one nestling will fight for it all the more'. And he could definitely see Lily and James practically suffocating Harry if he was ever in any danger.

**And to everybody's surprise, she seized Fred and George and pulled them both into such a tight hug their heads banged together.**

"Ow," said Remus, wincing and laughing at the same time.

"I wonder what made her corner them in particular," Lily mused with a laugh.

**"**_**Ouch!**_** Mum - you're strangling us -"**

"Poor things," said James sympathetically, having had plenty of experience with his own mother's hugs.

**"I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley said, starting to sob. **

"Oh, she feels guilty that she yelled at them," said Lily, comprehension dawning.

"I don't get it," said James, sounding confused.

"Well, what if something had happened to them?" Lily explained patiently. "Their last memory of their mother would be of her shouting at them."

**"It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and that last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.? **

"See," Lily pointed out, a smile pulling at her lips.

"It must have been a shock for her when she opened the Daily Prophet," Remus said.

**Oh, Fred ... George ..." **

**"Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly OK," said Mr. Weasley soothingly, prising her off the twins and leading her back towards the house. **

"Yes, make her some tea and then hopefully she'll calm down," Lily urged.

**"Bill," he added in an undertone, "pick up that paper, I want to see what it says ..." **

"I wouldn't mind hearing what it says either," said James, his eyes narrowing.

"Seeing Mrs Weasleys reaction makes me think that it may have been exaggerated," Sirius added.

"By a fair amount, too," Remus added.

**When they were all crammed into the tiny kitchen, and Hermione had made Mrs. Weasley a cup of very strong tea, **

"Good idea Hermione," said Lily approvingly.

**into which Mr. Weasley insisted on pouring a shot of Ogden's Old Firewisky, **

Lily gave a "Hmph!" while the men chuckled and Sirius added quietly "Nice one, Mr Weasley!"

**Bill handed his father the newspaper. Mr. Weasley scanned the front page while Percy looked over his shoulder.**

"He couldn't wait like the others could he?" said James in disgust.

"Oh, give him a bit of a break, he's just curious," said Remus, trying to be fair though not finding it very easy as he, too, disliked Percy.

**"I knew it," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "**_**Ministry blunders... **_

"Yeah, this article doesn't sound like it's gonna turn out well," said James with a wince.

_**culprits not apprehended... lax security... **_

"Couldn't agree with you more, mate," Sirius said in response to James' previous comment.

_**Dark wizards running unchecked... national disgrace**_**... **

"In other words it's practically all made-up or exaggerated," Remus concluded, shaking his head.

"Typical," said Sirius disgustedly.

**Who wrote this? Ah... of course... **

Here Lily stopped, sighed and said a little grudgingly, "Alright, so maybe you guys had a point."

"About what?" James asked his wife curiously.

**Rita Skeeter." **

"That," said Lily simply.

Sirius groaned, "I can't believe they haven't sacked that woman yet!"

"I know, all she cares about is her story and trying to destroy peoples reputations," James agreed.

**"That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic!" said Percy furiously. **

"I hate to agree with the suck-up, but he's completely right," said James.

"Not just the ministry," Sirius spoke up. "She has it in for pretty much everyone."

**"Last week she was saying we're wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness, **

"Well, that part I have to agree with," Sirius said with a snort.

James nodded with a grin.

**when we should be stamping out vampires! **

"That part, not so much," Remus said.

**As if it wasn't **_**specifically**_** stated in paragraph twelve of the **_**Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans -**_**" **

"Who cares?" James and Sirius said in unison.

**"Do us a favour, Perce," said Bill, yawning, "and shut up."**

"Go Bill!" all three men cheered simultaneously.

**"I'm mentioned," said Mr. Weasley, his eyes widening behind his glasses as he reached the bottom of the **_**Daily Prophet**_** article. **

"If he's mentioned then why didn't Mrs Weasley see?" asked Sirius, confused.

"Yeah, well, it's Rita Skeeter, I doubt the articles gonna portray him in a good light," said James dryly.

**"Where?" spluttered Mrs. Weasley, choking on her tea and whisky. "If I'd seen that, I'd have known you were alive!"**

"Must not have been by name," Lily said with a shrug.

**"Not by name," said Mr. Weasley. **

"Guess you're right Lils," James said.

**"Listen to this: '**_**If the terrified wizards and witches who waited breathlessly for news at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. **_

"Oi, Arthur did give them some reassurance," Lily exclaimed indignantly.

"We told you Lily, she just likes to ruin peoples life and careers," said Sirius.

"It's why we're surprised she hasn't been sacked yet," James added.

_**A Ministry official emerged some time after the appearance of the Dark Mark, alleging that nobody had been hurt, but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumours that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen**_**' **

"Oh please!" Lily exclaimed incredulously. "Do people actually believe this?"

"Unfortunately," said Sirius.

"**Oh, really," said Mr Weasley in exasperation, handing the paper to Percy. **

"I know," Sirius said sympathetically, having been on the receiving end of one of Rita's articles once.

**"Nobody **_**was**_** hurt, what was I supposed to say? **

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway, she just would have said something else to make him look bad," said James. As much as he hated to admit it, a part of him was pleased at the article. As pleased as he was about what Arthur had done to help his son, there was a part of him that was jealous that Harry most likely thought of Arthur as a father more than he did James.

_**Rumours that several bodies were removed from the woods...**_

"Who writes that in a newspaper," said Remus, rolling his eyes.

"I know, I mean, isn't she supposed to print facts, not rumours?" Lily added.

**well, there certainly will be rumours now she's printed that." **

**He heaved a deep sigh. "Molly, I'm going to have to go into the office, this is going to take some smoothing over." **

"Poor man," Lily sympathized and looked at her husband in surprise when he didn't say anything. James avoided her eyes, he knew what he was thinking was wrong, but he really couldn't help it.

**"I'll come with you, Father," said Percy importantly. **

"He is seriously beginning to bug me," Sirius said exasperatedly.

"Join the club," Remus responded wholeheartedly.

**"Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck. And I can give him my cauldron report in person." He bustled out of the kitchen. **

"I'm sure, he probably just wants to seem important," James said scathingly.

"Talk about getting a power trip," Sirius added with a roll of his eyes.

**Mrs Weasley looked most upset. **

"She wants to keep all her family together," Lily said, sympathizing with the woman.

"Well, why should Arthur go, isn't he one some type of break?" Remus added.

**"Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday! This hasn't got anything to do with your office, surely they can handle this without you?"**

"That's a fair point, the ministry must have really gone down if they need so much help for something like this," said Sirius. Despite the fact that both he and James worked at the ministry, they both hated the men in power there and the corruption everywhere.

**"I've got to go, Molly," said Mr Weasley, "I've made things worse. **

"That'll be why he wants to go, he feels guilty," said Remus.

"Well, he shouldn't!" huffed Lily. "Really, he did what most people would do in that situation."

"Well, actually, it depends on the person," James contradicted reasonably. "Because for one thing, I don't see someone like Crouch doing that."

"Crouch would probably have a whole report written, outlining every single detail," Sirius said, sniggering.

**I'll just change into my robes and I'll be off ..."**

**"Mrs. Weasley," said Harry suddenly, unable to contain himself, **

"Why, what does he want to ask?" James asked, distracted.

"You'll have to let me read, won't you?" Lily replied dryly.

**"Hedwig hasn't been with a letter for me, has she?" **

Sirius looked up sharply. Other than one or two tidbits, there hadn't been all that much about him in the book so far and he wanted to know how much he had changed after twelve years in Azkaban. He had to suppress a shudder just thinking about it, how on earth had he managed live through it?

**"Hedwig, dear?" said Mrs. Weasley distractedly. "No ...no, there hasn't been any post at all." **

"I wonder what's taking me so long," Sirius wondered out loud, feeling strange at putting it that way.

"Well, if you're on the run, then you're not exactly going to be in London, are you," Remus pointed out reasonably and somewhat sympathetically, seeing that this wasn't exactly easy for his friend.

"Oh… right," Sirius said.

"Hey, who knows maybe you'll be in Australia, you've always said you've wanted to go there," James teased his best friend, trying to lighten his mood.

"Yeah, the Aussie chicks," Sirius joked half-heartedly.

**Ron and Hermione looked curiously at Harry. **

"Oh, that's right, Harry hasn't told them about what happened yet," James remembered.

"Well, Harry James Potter, you had better tell them this time," Lily said with narrowed eyes.

**With a meaningful look at both of them he said, "All right if I go and dump my stuff in your room, Ron?"**

"I'm surprised that nobody noticed," Lily noted.

"They're probably all preoccupied," said James.

"Besides, they seem to be rather close which means it's probably a common occurrence," Remus pointed out.

**"Yeah ... think I will, too," said Ron at once. "Hermione?"**

**"Yes," she said quickly, and the three of them marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs.**

"Although that may look a little suspicious," James admitted.

"Well, like you said before, they're probably all preoccupied," Remus said.

**"What's up, Harry?" said Ron, the moment they had closed the door of the attic room behind them.**

"Impatient, isn't he," said Remus with a laugh.

"Just like Sirius," said James fondly. Sirius just glared at him but couldn't be bothered doing anything else.

**"There's something I haven't told you," Harry said. "On Sunday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again."**

"Oh, it will be curious to see how well Harry guessed their reactions," said Lily, sounding interested.

**Ron and Hermione's reactions were almost exactly as Harry had imagined them back in Privet Drive. **

"Looks like they really know each other well," said James, happiness for his son evident in his voice.

"Sounds like another group of friends I know," Lily murmured with a smile. As annoyed as she may have been with them, they really were the best friends you could find.

**Hermione gasped and started making suggestions at once, mentioning a number of reference books, and everybody from Albus Dumbledore to Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts matron.**

They all laughed and marveled at how well Harry had guessed her reaction.

**Ron simply looked dumbstruck.**

"Like Sirius," Remus said in a teasing tone.

"Oi!" the man in question huffed.

**"But - he wasn't there, was he? You-Know-Who? I mean - last time your scar kept hurting, he was at Hogwarts, wasn't he?" **

"Impressive…" said Sirius. "Practically word for word.

**"I'm sure he wasn't in Privet Drive," said Harry. "But I was dreaming about him... him and Wormtail - you know Wormtail. **

"Wonder how they all know him," said Lily in a slightly suspicious voice.

"Well, if he framed me, then I probably told them about him," said Sirius, hoping this was the case.

**I can't remember all of it now, but they were plotting to kill ... someone." **

"Oh, Harry, you shouldn't lie!" Lily scolded lightly.

"He just doesn't want to worry his friends," said Remus, having had the most experience with these sorts of things.

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons Moony didn't tell us he was a werewolf," James added. "Well, one of the minor ones, but still."

**He had teetered for a moment on the verge of saying "me", but he couldn't bring himself to make Hermione look any more horrified than she already did. **

"See, he's just trying to think about their feelings," said Remus.

"As sweet as that is, I still don't want him to lie," Lily said firmly. James didn't voice his opinion, though truthfully he wasn't quite sure what it was. He could see where Harry was coming from, but he didn't really want his son to lie either.

**"It was only a dream," said Ron bracingly. "Just a nightmare."**

"Except that it wasn't," said James quietly. "Not if the first chapter was any indication anyway."

"Yes, except that they don't know that," said Lily, wishing that she was there to help her son through what was bound to be confusing for him.

**"Yeah, but was it, though?" said Harry, turning to look out of the window at the brightening sky. "It's weird, isn't it ... my scar hurts, and three days later the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign's up in the sky again."**

"He's right, even if we hadn't have read the first chapter, it would still seem pretty suspicious," said Remus.

"It's just too much to be a coincidence," Sirius agreed.

**"Don't - say - his - name!" Ron hissed through gritted teeth.**

"Oh, really, I don't see why people would be scared of saying his name," Sirius said exasperatedly.

"I know, especially since we know Ron didn't live through his reign of terror," James added.

**"And remember what Professor Trelawney said?" Harry went on, ignoring Ron. **

"Good boy, Harry," said James with a grin.

"Yeah, don't go into that whole You-Know-Who thing," Sirius added.

Remus hadn't paid much attention to that part and said thoughtfully, "Trelawney… Trelawney… why does that name sound so familiar?"

"It's probably Sybill Trelawney, Professor Dumbledore mentioned something about hiring her a few weeks ago," Lily answered.

"That would be it," Remus said to himself and returned his attention to the book.

**"At the end of last year?" **

**Hermione's terrified look vanished as she let out a derisive snort. "Oh, Harry, you aren't going to pay any attention to anything that old fraud says?" **

They all laughed and Sirius said, "Didn't seem like Hermione was the type to insult teachers."

"No she doesn't, I suppose she just really hates Trelawney," Lily said in a bemused tone.

**"You weren't there," said Harry. "You didn't hear her. This time was different. I told you, she went into a trance - a real one. **

"A trance?" asked Sirius, looking utterly bewildered.

"She's the Divination teacher," Lily clarified.

"Oh come on, Divination is just a bunch of rubbish," Remus scoffed.

"Not always," James contradicted. "There are some real prophecies but they're pretty rare. Most seers don't even realize that they're making one!"

**And she said the Dark Lord would rise again**

They all paled, and Lily gasped in horror.

**- **_**greater and more terrible than ever before**_**…**

"I am not liking the way this is going," said Lily weakly.

"Neither am I," said James, looking paler than anybody else in the room had ever seen him.

**and he'd manage it because his servant was going to go back to him ... and that night Wormtail escaped."**

There was an uneasy silence before Lily broke it by saying hesitantly, "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," said Sirius gloomily.

"Let's just hope that it won't be anytime soon," said James softly but with a thin layer of determination hidden underneath his voice.

"And that Harry won't be involved," Sirius added grimly.

**There was a silence in which Ron fidgeted absent-mindedly with a hole in his Chudley Cannons bedspread.**

**"Why were you asking if Hedwig had come, Harry?" Hermione asked. **

"Oh, that's right, Harry hasn't told them that he wrote to you," said Lily, trying to get her mind off the previous conversation. She suspected that she probably wouldn't take the news very well if she let herself comprehend it.

**"Are you expecting a letter?" **

**"I told Sirius about my scar," said Harry shrugging. **

"Which was a smart thing to do Harry, even if you didn't end up writing to the Headmaster," said Lily approvingly.

"He said it before, he obviously doesn't find it important enough to write to Dumbledore, though it probably is," said Sirius.

**"I'm waiting for his answer." **

"And I promise I'll send a reply it as soon as I possibly can," said Sirius reassuringly.

**"Good thinking!" said Ron, his expression clearing. "I bet Sirius'll know what to do!"**

Lily looked over at Sirius in surprise. Even though he was currently in the Auror squad, Sirius still had the tendency to act like a teenager at times. She had to wonder what he had gone through in Azkaban and how much it had changed him if he had a bunch of kids expecting him to know all the answers.

"Um, Lily," said James, looking at her.

"Hm? Oh, sorry," said Lily, returning her gaze to the book in front of her and continuing with the chapter.

**"I hoped he'd get back to me quickly," said Harry.**

"Don't worry, I'm sure I will," said Sirius.

**"But we don't know where Sirius is ... he could be in Africa or somewhere, couldn't he?" said Hermione reasonably. **

"Exactly," said Remus. "As efficient as I'm sure Harry's owl is, there's absolutely no way she can fly that quickly."

**"Hedwig's not going to manage **_**that**_** journey in a few days."**

**"Yeah, I know," said Harry, but there was a laden feeling in his stomach as he looked out of the window at the Hedwig-free sky.**

"Oh, poor Harry," said Lily, desperately wishing she could be there to push his doubts away. It was just so hard to think that, when this was happening, she would be buried six foot under. She repressed a shiver at the thought.

**"Come and have a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Harry," said Ron.**

"Yes, Harry, go and take your mind off things," James urged with a sad smile. If only he was there to play Quidditch with his son.

"**Come on - three on three, Bill, Charlie and Fred and George will play ... you can try out the Wronski Feint ..."**

"Don't you dare, Harry James Potter!" Lily exclaimed with an abrupt turn around of mood.

"Yes, go play Quidditch but maybe try that technique out a little later," James amended, trying not to think about his son hurtling to the ground at full speed. Sirius just smiled at his best friends' overprotectiveness.

**"Ron," said Hermione, in an I-don't-think-you're-being-very-sensitive sort of voice, "Harry doesn't want to play Quidditch right now ... he's worried, and he's tired ... we all need to go to bed ..." **

"I think Hermione's idea is better," said Lily approvingly. "They all need their rest."

"Lily, you do remember whose son this is, don't you?" Remus asked with a laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean," James demanded.

**"Yeah, I want to play Quidditch," said Harry suddenly. **

"Exactly that," said Remus, now laughing slightly.

"Oh really, they should play Quidditch when they're more well rested," Lily huffed.

"Relax Lily, this will help Harry get his mind off things," James said, "he can always rest later."

"I suppose," said Lily grudgingly.

**"Hang on, I'll get my Firebolt."**

James sighed in envy at the mention of the Firebolt while Lily just shook her head resignedly.

**Hermione left the room, muttering something which sounded very much like "**_**Boys**_**".**

"Couldn't agree with you more, Hermione," said Lily with a laugh, looking over at her very much Quidditch obsessed husband.

"I told you Lily, James' genetics will definitely win this one," said Remus, smiling.

**Neither Mr. Weasley nor Percy was at home much over the following week. **

"Poor things, having to work all the time," said Lily sympathetically. James nodded but didn't say anything more, much to the surprise of the others.

**Both left the house each morning before the rest of the family got up, and returned well after dinner every night. **

**"It's been an absolute uproar," Percy told them importantly, **

"I bet it has," said Sirius, for once ignoring the opportunity to slate the third eldest Weasley.

"Rita Skeeters article definitely didn't help either," said James dryly.

**the Sunday evening before they were due to return to Hogwarts. **

Lily looked happy at this revelation, "That means we'll finally be able to find out what Percy and Bagman were on about!"

"I wonder what the teachers are like," said Remus, drifting off the current topic.

"Probably not that much different," Sirius said dismissively.

**"I've been putting out fires all week. **

"Does he mean that literally or figuratively?" Remus asked.

"Probably figuratively. Especially since he's a member of the Department of International Magical Co-operation, they're probably all complaining," Lily answered.

**People keep sending Howlers and of course, if you don't open a Howler straight away, it explodes.**

"Although apparently they mean literal fires as well," said James with a raised eyebrow.

**Scorch marks all over my desk and my best quill reduced to cinders."**

**"Why are they all sending Howlers?" asked Ginny, **

"That's actually a rather fair question, why are they sending Howlers?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Complaining, most likely," said James with a shrug.

**who was mending her copy of **_**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi**_** with Spellotape on the rug in front of the living-room fire.**

**"Complaining about security at the World Cup," said Percy. "They want compensation for their ruined property. **

"Typical," said Lily, rolling her eyes.

"Sometimes humanity disgusts me," Remus murmured. _(A/N: Seriously on this one though, we've had all the bushfires down here (you know, the worst in Australian history) and it really is horrible at all the people who are stealing the donated money, or who are saying that they lost a family member in the fire so they can get compensation. Lawyers are already going around claiming that they can get them compensation. Sometimes humanity really does sadden me.)_

"How much you want to bet that half of it the claims are fake?" Sirius said with a smirk.

**Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim for a twelve-bedroomed tent with en-suite Jacuzzi, but I've got his number. I know for a fact he was sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks." **

They all burst out laughing, thinking of the crook they had met on several occasions. That definitely sounded like him.

**Mrs. Weasley glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. **

"Must be getting late," said Remus idly.

**Harry liked this clock. It was completely useless if you wanted to know the time, **

"Well then what's the point of it?" asked Sirius.

**but otherwise very informative. **

"How can a clock not tell time but still be informative?" asked James, sounding quite confused.

**It had nine golden hands, and each of them was engraved with one of the Weasley family's names. There were no numerals around the face, but descriptions of where each family member might be. "Home", "school" and "work" were there, but there was also "lost", "hospital, "prison" and, in the position where the number twelve would be on a normal clock, "mortal peril".**

"That's how…" said Remus, nodding his head in slight shock.

"I wonder how on earth they managed to get a clock like that," said Lily, also slightly shocked. "It would be downright useful."

"It's cool," added Sirius.

"I know, but I'd have hated it if my mum had one…" said James. "She'd always know if we tried to sneak out!"

**Eight of the hands were currently pointing at the "home" position, but Mr. Weasley's, which was the longest, was still pointing at "work". Mrs. Weasley sighed. **

"Isn't it rather common to have to stay late?" asked Lily, knowing that James and Sirius had to stay late at times.

"Well, yeah, but I suppose it might be different for people in other departments," said James, shrugging his shoulders in a clueless sort of way.

**"Your father hasn't had to go into the office at weekends since the days of You-Know-Who," she said. **

"That would do it," said Remus thoughtfully. "I suppose with Voldemort gone they wouldn't need as many people."

**"They're working him far too hard. His dinner's going to be ruined if he doesn't come home soon."**

**"Well, Father feels he's got to make up for his mistake at the match, doesn't he?" said Percy.**

"He does, but I still don't see why," said Lily. "He didn't actually make a mistake."

**"If truth be told, he was a tad unwise to make a public statement without clearing it with his Head of Department first -" **

There were several outraged remarks at this. "How on earth could he say that about his own father," said Sirius.

"Didn't you say worse to yours?" asked Lily.

"Yeah, but I didn't have a father that loved me like Mr Weasley," Sirius pointed out slightly bitterly.

"Besides, isn't Arthur the Head of Department?" asked Remus.

"I don't know, but that was still completely out of line," said James.

**"Don't you dare blame your father for what that wretched Skeeter woman wrote!" said Mrs. Weasley, flaring up at once. **

"Exactly!" they all exclaimed loudly but then hushed quickly, looking over at Harry to make sure they hadn't woken the baby up. They all gave a sigh of relief when he turned over and returned back to reading.

**"If Dad hadn't said anything, old Rita would just have said it was disgraceful that nobody from the Ministry had commented," said Bill, **

"Exactly," said James.

**who was playing chess with Ron. "Rita Skeeter never makes anyone look good. **

"Hasn't changed much, has she?" said Sirius dryly.

"Unfortunately not," James answered.

**Remember, she interviewed all the Gringotts' curse breakers once, and called me a 'long-haired pillock'?"**

"Ouch," said Remus, sounding more amused than anything.

"Bet his mother didn't like that," said James with a laugh.

**"Well, it **_**is**_** a bit long, dear," said Mrs Weasley gently. "If you'd just let me -" **

**"**_**No**_**, Mum." **

"I knew he was going to say that," said Remus, still laughing.

"For a Head Boy, he's rather rebellious," said Lily.

"That's a good thing though," said Sirius.

**Rain lashed against the living-room window. Hermione was immersed in **_**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4**_**, copies of which Mrs Weasley had bought for her, Harry and Ron in Diagon Alley. Charlie was darning a fireproof balaclava. Harry was polishing his Firebolt, the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had given him for his thirteenth birthday open at his feet.**

"Brilliant gift," said James, laughter in his eyes.

"It was probably the first thing that popped into her head when she went shopping," Sirius said with a smirk.  
**  
Fred and George were sitting in a far corner, quills out, talking in whispers, their heads bent over a piece of parchment.**

"What are they up to?" Lily asked.

**"What are you two up to?" said Mrs. Weasley sharply, her eyes on the twins. **

**"Homework," said Fred vaguely.**

"Why do I doubt that?" Remus asked out loud.

"Because you've spent too much time with these two," Lily answered, gesturing towards James and Sirius.

**"Don't be ridiculous, you're still on holiday," said Mrs. Weasley.**

**"Yeah, we've left it a bit late," said George.**

"Personally I find that rather suspicious," said James.

"Yep, so do I," Sirius responded. "Probably something harmless like a prank though."

"You and I, Sirius," Lily said, "have very different definitions of harmless."

**"You're not by any chance writing out a new **_**order form**_**, are you?" said Mrs. Weasley shrewdly. **

"Like they would do that right in front of their mother," James scoffed.

"No way, they would wait until they were on the Hogwarts Express at the very least," Sirius added.

**"You wouldn't be thinking of restarting **_**Weasleys Wizard Wheezes**_**, by any chance?"**

"They probably are," said Remus with a grin. "But like these two said, they probably wouldn't start in front of their mother."

**"Now, Mum," said Fred, looking up at her, a pained look in his face. "If the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and George and I died, how would you feel knowing that the last thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded accusation?" **

They all burst out laughing. "Those twins are absolutely brilliant," said Sirius, shaking his head in laughter.

**Everyone laughed, even Mrs. Weasley.**

"Nice to know she's got a sense of humour as well," Sirius said approvingly.

**"Oh, your father's coming!" she said suddenly, looking up at the clock again. **

**Mr. Weasley's hand had suddenly gone from 'work' to 'traveling'; **

"We should think about getting one made, it would be very useful," said Lily, stoutly ignoring the fact that according to the book, she wouldn't live long enough to use it properly.

"That's a good idea," said James. "I'll have to ask around."

**a second later it had shuddered to a halt on 'home' with the others, and they heard him calling from the kitchen.**

**"Coming Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, hurrying out of the room.**

**A few moments later, Mr. Weasley had come into the warm living room, carrying his dinner on a tray. He looked completely exhausted.**

"Poor man," said Lily. "They really are working him hard, aren't they?"

**"Well, the fat's really in the fire now," he told Mrs Weasley **

"Oh dear," said Remus. "Somehow I'm guessing that something worse has happened."

"Though I don't know how it could," Lily added.

**as he sat down in an armchair near the fire and toyed unenthusiastically with his somewhat shrivelled cauliflower. "Rita Skeeter's **

They all groaned and James said in disgust, "I should have known that she would have something to do with it."

**been ferreting about all week, looking for more Ministry mess-ups to report. **

"And she's probably found one," said Sirius gloomily.

"Of course she has, there are plenty," James said, "the only problem is that Rita will make it out to be far worse then it actually is."

**And now she's found out about poor old Bertha going missing, so that'll be the headline in the **_**Prophet**_** tomorrow. I **_**told**_** Bagman he should have sent someone to look for her ages ago." **

**"Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks," said Percy swiftly.**

"Honestly, that kid is seriously getting on my nerves," Sirius snapped.

"I know, it's like he cares more about what his boss thinks then his own family," James exclaimed.

**"Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky," said Mr. Weasley irritably. **

"Looks like even Mr Weasley is beginning to get annoyed with him," said James.

"Mr Weasleys got a point though; can you imagine what Rita would do with that sort of information?" Lily pointed out.

"I can, and it's not anything good," Sirius answered her.

**"There'd be a week's worth of headlines in his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark." **

"That's probably an understatement," Remus said under his breath.

**"I thought we were all agreed that the elf, while irresponsible, did **_**not**_** conjure the Mark," said Percy hotly.**

"Moron," Sirius grumbled.

**"If you ask me, Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the**_** Daily Prophet**_** knows how mean he is to elves!" said Hermione angrily. **

"She's got a fair point as well," said Remus. "Well, depending on who happens to be reading the article," he amended.

**"Now look here, Hermione," said Percy. **

"Ugh, why can't he just see that nobody wants to listen and just shut up?" James asked in disgust.

"Because he wants to flaunt his opinions," Remus answered.

**"A high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch deserves unwavering obedience from his servants -"**

"Oh really, that's just ridiculous. Was Winky really supposed to stay and risk getting killed?" Lily asked scathingly.

**"His **_**slave**_**, you mean!" said Hermione, her voice rising shrilly. "Because he didn't **_**pay**_** Winky, did he?"**

"I think that Hermione's gotten a _little _too interested in House Elves," said James.

"I don't think she realizes what they're like," said Remus. "After all, she's met one and heard about another one and that's it. It's not really a good way to judge what they're actually like."

"Well, if they find the kitchens and Hogwarts, they can find out," said James.

**"I think you'd all better go upstairs and check that you've packed properly!" said Mrs. Weasley, breaking up the argument. **

"Good idea, break it up before it gets too heated," said Lily approvingly.

"But I wanted to see Percy get humiliated," Sirius whined.

"Oh, quit it with the whining," Lily said, laughing.

**"Come on, now, all of you ..."**

**Harry repacked his Broomstick Servicing Kit, put his Firebolt over his shoulder and went back upstairs with Ron.**

**The rain sounded even harder at the top of the house, accompanied by loud whistlings and moans from the wind, not to mention sporadic howls from the ghoul who lived in the attic.**

"I wonder how they can sleep with that ghoul howling all night," James wondered out loud.

**Pigwidgeon began twittering and zooming around his cage again when they entered. The sight of the half-packed trunks seemed to have sent him into a frenzy of excitment.**

"Easily excitable, isn't he?" said Remus, sounding amused.

"Very," Lily agreed with a laugh.

**"Bung him some Owl Treats," said Ron, throwing a packet across to Harry, "it might shut him up." **

**Harry poked a few Owl Treats through the bars of Pigwidgeon's cage, then turned to his trunk. Hedwig's cage stood next to it, still empty.**

"I wonder what on earth is taking me so long," Sirius said, the worry in his voice nearly undetectable.

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything's fine," said Remus reassuringly.

**"It's been over a week," Harry said, looking at Hedwig's deserted perch. "Ron, you don't reckon Sirius has been caught, do you?"**

"I hope not," Sirius muttered.

"Don't worry, like we said, you're probably just in some distant country and it's taking Hedwig a while," said James, who could see that his friend was rather worried despite what he was showing.

**"Nah, it would've been in the **_**Daily Prophet**_**," said Ron. "The Ministry would want to show they'd caught **_**someone**_**, wouldn't they?" **

"Exactly," said Lily. "You've got nothing to worry about. Well, except helping my son, of course."

"Lily, I would never worry about that. I would worry about him but not about having to help," said Sirius with a smile.

**"Yeah, I suppose ..."**

**"Look, here's the stuff Mum got for you in Diagon Alley. And she's got some gold out of your vault for you... and she's washed all your socks."**

"That's nice of her," said Lily simply not showing her wish to be the one to be there to help Harry pack.

**He heaved a pile of parcels onto Harry's camp bed and dropped the money bag and a load of socks next to it. Harry started unwrapping the shopping. Apart from **_**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4**_**, by Miranda Goshawk, he had a handful of new quills, a dozen rolls of parchment and refills for his potion-making kit - he had been running low on spine of lionfish and essence of belladonna.**

"Hey, speaking of potions, who do you think the Potions Master is?" Remus asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean, it's probably still Slughorn," said James.

"Actually James, if you ever listened to what's going on around you, you would know that Slughorn said that he will probably retire within the next seven years or so," said Lily.

"Which means that there would be a new one by Harry's time," James concluded.

"Well, we'll probably find out in the next chapter or two," said Sirius.

**He was just piling underwear into his cauldron when Ron made a loud noise of disgust behind him.**

**"What is **_**that**_** supposed to be?" **

**He was holding up something that looked to Harry like a long, maroon velvet dress. **

"Maybe Molly slipped it into Ron's trunk instead of Ginny's?" Sirius asked.

"I don't see Molly making that kind of mistake," Lily countered, shaking her head.

**It had a mouldy-looking lace frill at the collar and matching lace cuffs.**

"That's… nice," said James, nodding his head slowly.

**There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Weasley entered, carrying an armful of freshly laundered Hogwarts robes. **

"Ugh, can you imagine having to clean – what is it, 6? – pairs of Hogwarts robes?" Lily asked.

**"Here you are," she said, sorting them into two. "Now, mind you pack them properly so they don't crease."**

**"Mum, you've given me Ginny's new dress," said Ron, holding it out to her.**

**"Of course I haven't," said Mrs. Weasley. "That's for you. Dress robes."**

"Oh," said Remus, wincing.

"Poor Ron," said James, looking sympathetic.

"I suppose they didn't have enough money to buy new ones," said Lily sympathetically.

**"**_**What?**_**" said Ron, looking horror-struck. **

"I think I would be too," said Sirius with a wince.

"Yes, I definitely feel for Ron," said Remus.

"Well, it's not that often that Hogwarts students have to wear dress robes anyway," Lily reasoned.

**"Dress robes!" repeated Mrs. Weasley. "It says on your school list that you're supposed to have dress robes this year... robes for formal occasions."**

"Wonder why," said James curiously. "We didn't need them until seventh year."

**"You've got to be kidding," said Ron in disbelief. "I'm not wearing that, no way." **

**"Everyone wears them, Ron!" said Mrs. Weasley crossly. **

"That's quite true," said James.

"And besides, I'm sure that Ron won't be the only one with second-hand dress robes," Remus said reasonably.

**"They're all like that! Your father's got some for smart parties!" **

**"I'll go starkers before I put that on," said Ron stubbornly.**

**"Don't be so silly," said Mrs. Weasley, "you've got to have dress robes, they're on your list! I got some for Harry, too... show him, Harry..."**

"What type do you think she got Harry?" Lily asked.

"Hopefully none with lace," said James dryly.  
**  
With some trepidation, Harry opened the last parcel on his camp bed. It wasn't as bad as he had expected, however; **

"Which means no lace," said Sirius happily.

"I hope they're green," said Lily with a faraway look in her eyes.

**his dress robes didn't have any lace on them at all; in fact, they were more or less the same as his school ones, except that they were bottle green instead of black.**

Lily smiled, "Well, it seems Mrs Weasley does have good taste."  
**  
"I thought they'd bring out the colour of your eyes, dear," said Mrs. Weasley fondly.**

"Women," said James and Sirius quietly, not willing to say it any louder.

**"Well, they're OK!" said Ron angrily, looking at Harry's robes. "Why couldn't I have some like that?" **

"I suppose she used some of Harry's own money from his vault," said Lily.

"Ron will probably feel self-conscious," said Remus knowingly.

**Because ... well, I had to get yours second-hand and there wasn't a lot of choice!" said Mrs. Weasley, flushing.**

"That sucks," said James, looking sympathetic.

**Harry looked away. He would willingly have split all the money in his Gringotts vault with the Weasleys, **

"Aw, isn't my Harry generous," Lily cooed.

"That's nice of him," said James.

**but he knew they would never take it.**

"Too much pride," said Sirius, having had experience with Remus when he had been down on his luck once or twice.

**"I'm never wearing them," Ron was saying stubbornly. "Never."**

**"Fine," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "Go naked. And Harry, make sure you get a picture of him. Goodness knows I could do with a laugh." **

"Ouch," said James wincing.

"I do pity her," said Remus. "After all, she is trying her best."

**She left the room, slamming the door behind her.**

There was a funny noise from behind them. Pigwidgeon was choking on an overlarge Owl Treat.

"Well, that was… unexpected," said James.

**"Why is everything I own rubbish?" said Ron furiously, striding across the room to un-stick Pigwidgeon's beak.**

"Well, that was an odd ending to the chapter," said Sirius.

"Quite," said Lily. "Anyway, now Harry will finally get to go to Hogwarts!"

"Here, I'll read it," James offered, reaching for the book.

**---------------------------**

_So… what did you think?_


	12. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

_Enjoy the chapter... and review... it is my birthday this week after all :)_

**Dedicated to Annabeth Furlong :-)**

**---------------------------**

"Who's reading the next chapter?" Lily asked.

"I'll read it," James offered and, with a quick glance at his son who was still sleeping, began to read the next chapter.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN **

**ABOARD THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS**

"Harry's going to Hogwarts!" Lily exclaimed happily, all traces of her previous bad temper gone.

James was smiling, he had always dreamed of the day his son would go to Hogwarts. The day he got his first Hogwarts letter, went to Diagon Alley for the first time… The strange thing was that James didn't actually feel all that upset about dying. He was scared, terrified even, but the only thing he regretted or was upset about was the fact that he was going to leave Harry alone.

**There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when Harry awoke the next morning. **

"I know what he means," said Sirius sympathetically. "It always sucks going back to school. Well, if I'm staying at James' place," he amended slightly. If he was at Grimmauld Place then he'd have been doing the same as Harry and counting down the days until he could return.

"Harry should be pleased to be going back!" Lily huffed, but the large smile on her face meant that the others didn't take her seriously.

**Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt; **

"Ugh, I absolutely hate it when it's the first day of school and it's raining," said James in disgust.

"I know, it just makes the term start off bad," Remus agreed.

**they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express. **

"Of course, everyone does that," Sirius scoffed.

**He, Ron, Fred and George had just reached the first-floor landing on their way down to breakfast, when Mrs. Weasley appeared at the foot of the stairs looking harassed.**

"I wonder what's up," Sirius said curiously.

"Really Sirius, she's got what, six kids to get ready to go to school? Of course she'll be harassed," Lily scoffed. She honestly had no clue how Molly could do it. She herself could barely manage having a few one-year-olds over.

"I don't know, I think it's something different," Remus countered. "After all, if she could manage dealing with seven kids for so many years, I'm sure she'd manage getting them ready for Hogwarts."

"Well, maybe," Lily responded doubtfully.

**"Arthur!" she called up the staircase, "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"**

"Looks like you're right Remus," Lily conceded.

"He generally is," James said with a grin.

"Wonder what's happened though," Remus said curiously.

"Rita Skeeter's probably just found another one of her reputation-ruining scoops," Sirius answered dismissively.

**Harry flattened himself against the wall as Mr. Weasley came clattering past with his robes on back-to-front and hurtled out of sight. **

"Maybe not, I don't see Arthur getting that agitated over something like this," Lily said with a frown.

"I just hope it hurries up and reveals what it is before it can be classified as a mystery," Sirius said dryly. James nodded vehemently, agreeing with his friend wholeheartedly.

**When Harry and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Mrs. Weasley rummaging anxiously in the dresser drawers - "I've got a quill here somewhere!" **

"Nope, not Rita Skeeter," James said.

"Wonder what's happened then?" Sirius said.

"Probably something that they won't want Rita to find out," Lily mused.

**- and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking to -**

**Harry shut his eyes hard and opened them again to make sure that they were working properly.**

"Why, what's happened?" Lily asked curiously.

"I don't know," Sirius answered with a frown.

"And you won't unless you let me continue reading," James pointed out.

**Amos Diggory's **

"Oh, not him again," Sirius said disgustedly.

**head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large bearded egg. **

"Well that a… nice description," Lily said, laughter threatening to break through her voice.

"The author certainly has a way with words," Remus said, also in an amused tone.

**It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.**

"Of course not, he won't be able to feel them," James exclaimed.

"It would look quite odd though," Lily said fairly.

"I suppose Harry's never seen anyone floo like that," Remus added, making James look a little downcast. How he wished he had been the one to raise his son…

**"... Muggle neighbours heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call-'ems - please-men.**

"See, they are please-men," Sirius said triumphantly.

"Actually Sirius, Amos made a mistake as well. They're called policemen," Lily answered him amusedly.

"Wonder what happened in the first place though? That the law enforcement, whatever their names are, had to be called in the first place," James wondered out loud.

**Arthur, you've got to get over there -" **

"I suppose as Arthur works with Muggle relations at the ministry he would be the best to deal with this sort of thing," said Lily.

"If you ask me, with what we've seen of the ministry so far, Arthur would be the best to deal with everything," James said wryly.

**"Here!" said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands.**

**"- it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," said Mr. Diggory's head, "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off - if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur -"**

"Then the consequences would not be easy to deal with," Sirius said with a wince.

"That, Padfoot would be the understatement of the century," said James.

**"What does Mad-Eye say happened?" asked Mr. Weasley, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill and preparing to take notes. **

"Mad-Eye? Who on earth is that?" Lily asked in a surprised tone.

"No clue," James answered, frowning as he tried to recall anybody who may have used that name.

**Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes. "Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says they were creeping towards the house, but they were ambushed by his dustbins." **

"Ok…" Sirius said slowly.

"Well that definitely wasn't expected," said Remus, looking slightly taken aback.

"Who on earth would charm their dustbins?" Lily said incredulously.

**"What did the dustbins do?" asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically.**

"Fair question," Sirius said and then added with an evil grin, "And one I want to know the answer to."

**"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," said Mr. Diggory. **

All four of them snorted in laughter at the thought.

**"Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the please-men turned up -"**

Sirius looked thoughtful and interrupted James' reading to ask, "Hey Lily?"

"Yes," came her answer as she looked over at him.

"I don't suppose your sister has a few dustbins herself?" he asked in an innocent tone that fooled nobody.

"Why, I do believe she does," Lily answered with a wicked grin.

**Mr. Weasley groaned. "And what about the intruder?"**

"Covered in garbage, most likely," James said with a snigger.

"Or he could be in Police custody," Lily added.

**"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," said Mr. Diggory's head, rolling its eyes again. **

"Or maybe not," Remus said with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds like this Mad-Eye is rather paranoid."

**"Someone creeping in his yard at the dead of night? More likely there's a shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. **

"Actually Moony, I would say paranoid is an understatement," Sirius said with a disbelieving laugh.

"If it is, then I feel sorry for that poor cat," Lily said, though she couldn't stop her lips twitching at the thought.

**But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it - think of his record – **

"What do you think his records like?" James asked curiously.

"Who knows," Sirius answered. "Maybe it'll mention something later in the book."

**we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department - what are exploding dustbins worth?" **

"He must be rather important if they're trying to stop him from getting into serious trouble," Lily mused out loud.

"Yeah, must be," James agreed. "The question is who is it.?"

**"Might be a caution," said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"**

"Well, he would want to make sure that there was an actual intruder, wouldn't he?" Sirius asked.

"Considering the fact that his dustbins were set to chuck rubbish at anybody that set them off, I'd say that's a little unlikely," Lily answered him dryly, ignoring it when James and Sirius started chuckling about the dustbins once more.

**"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," said Mr. Diggory, **

"Paranoid much?" Sirius said with a laugh.

"Somehow I doubt you'd want to get on the wrong side of him," said James with a wry grin.

"What I'm curious to know is how he got the nickname of Mad-Eye," Lily spoke up in an interested tone.

**"but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties."**

"I should hope not," Lily exclaimed.

"If there were then there's no way that Arthur and Amos would be able to get him off," Remus said thoughtfully. "After all, after the Quidditch Cup disaster, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is going to be cracking down even harder on things like this."

"All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again.

**Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley.**

**"Sorry about this, Molly," it said, more calmly, **

"He should apologize, poor Molly already has a hectic day what with trying to get everyone to Kings Cross Station," Lily said approvingly. She still didn't really like Amos Diggory but at least he was polite enough to apologize.

**"bothering you so early and everything... but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night..."**

"Somehow I doubt he _chose _it," Remus said with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah, more like the cat did!" Sirius said, making both him and James crack up laughing. Lily and Remus just rolled their eyes.

**"Never mind, Amos," said Mrs. Weasley. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?" **

"Sure she has any to spare," Sirius said. "I mean, she does have to feed nine kids after all."

"And I thought I had it bad, having to cook for you Marauders," Lily said, chuckling a little. "And don't worry Sirius, I'm sure Molly will have made plenty."

"Just not enough to fill Sirius' bottomless stomach!" James said with a grin making both Lily and Remus laugh.

Sirius just pouted.

**"Oh, go on then," said Mr. Diggory.**

**Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack **

"_A_ stack?" Lily said incredulously. "Just how many did she make?"

"Impressive," said Remus. "Maybe she would be able to feed Sirius after all."

"Oh shut it Remus," Sirius snapped and added with a pout, "I do not eat that much!"

**on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth.**

**"Fanks," he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small **_**pop**_**, vanished. **

"Saying thank you with your mouth full," Sirius mused out loud. "Not that's an etiquette question."

**Harry could hear Mr. Weasley calling hurried goodbyes to Bill, Charlie, Percy and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes the right way now, **

"Looks like he managed to find some time to fix himself up a little bit," Lily said amusedly..

"I bet you Molly reminded him," James added with a grin.

**dragging a comb through his hair.**

**"I'd better hurry - you have a good term, boys," said Mr. Weasley to Harry, Ron and the twins, dragging a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate. "Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?"**

"It would depend whether the twins are as stupid as these two prats," Remus said, gesturing towards the two black-haired marauders with a hand.

"Who, us?" they asked in unison.

**"Of course I will," she said. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine." **

**As Mr Weasley vanished, Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen. **

**"Did someone say Mad-Eye?" Bill asked. "What's he been up to now?"**

"Looks like everyone knows Mad-Eye," said James, frowning slightly as he once again tried to recall whether he knew anyone that went by that name.

Lily noticed this and said, "Relax, I'm sure it's just some type of nickname someone will get in the future sometime."

"You're probably right," James conceded. "I suppose I'm just to used to knowing most of the important people."

"Rather understandable, most of the people in Harry's time you seem to know in this one anyway," Remus pointed out.

**"He says someone tried to break into his house last night," said Mrs. Weasley.**

**"Mad-Eye Moody?" said George thoughtfully, **

"Wait, did he just say Moody?" James said sharply, sitting up.

"He can't mean Alastor Moody, can he?" Lily asked. She had met Alastor quite often, either when she went to see Sirius and James at the office or at Order Meetings.

"It must be, there's no other Moody," Remus said. "I wonder how he got to be known as Mad-Eye?"

"Well, the personality fits," Sirius said. "Moody's one of the most paranoid people you could ever meet."

**spreading marmalade on his toast. "Isn't he that nutter -"**

Sirius' lips twitched as he said, "Well, nutter can be one way of putting it."

"Quite an apt one really," James added, laughing. Moody was one person that the marauders didn't dare prank. Mainly because he could give them far more work to do then before. His heart was in the right place though, he was quite understanding when Harry had been born and James had missed several months of work.

**"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," said Mrs. Weasley sternly.**

**"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" said Fred quietly, as Mrs. Weasley left the room. "Birds of a feather..."**

"Where on earth did that come from?" Sirius asked bewilderingly.

"No clue," said James, looking confused. "Moony?"

"It rings a bell, but I'm not quite sure," Remus answered, also looking a little taken aback at the strange term.

Lily rolled her eyes and laughed a little as she said, "It's an idiom; Birds of a feather flock together. It means that those who have the same traits go together."

"Well, why didn't they just say that?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, all that talk about birds would confuse anyone," James added.

**"Moody was a great wizard in his time," said Bill. **

"In his time?" Lily asked curiously.

"I suppose he would have retired by then," said Sirius. "I mean, he's not really young in this time."

**"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's isn't he?" said Charlie.**

**"Dumbledore's not what you'd call **_**normal**_**, though, is he?" said Fred. **

"No, not quite," Lily said, her lips twitching.

**"I mean, I know he's a genius and everything..." **

**"Who **_**is**_** Mad-Eye?" asked Harry."**

**"He's retired, used to work at the Ministry," said Charlie. **

"So he has retired," Lily mused.

"Too bad, he's a brilliant Auror," said Sirius.

"He's caught a fair few Death Eater's as well," James added.

**"I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror - one of the best ... a Dark-wizard catcher," he added, seeing Harry's blank look. **

James looked over at his still slumbering son. He hated all these reminders that his baby boy hadn't ended up being raised by him, that his pride and joy had grown up feeling unloved.

He felt someone staring at him and, glancing towards them, saw that it was Sirius. His eyes were full of determination and James knew that Sirius was not going to let it happen without a fight.

**"Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. **

"Looks like he's caught a fair few more Death Eaters," said James, trying to shake himself out of morbid thoughts.

"Half the cells in Azkaban? I would say so," Sirius said wryly, trying to stop himself from wondering whether Mad-Eye had been one of the people that had arrested him.

**He made himself loads of enemies, though... the families of people he caught, mainly... **

"I bet," murmured James.

"No wonder he's paranoid, he must have so many people willing to kill him," Lily said.

**and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. **

Sirius snorted and said, "Can you imagine what Moody would say if he heard about how he's being described in this book?"

"I can and it's looking pretty damn funny," said James, chuckling at the image. "I wonder what insane person would call Moody 'old' to his face."

**Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere." **

"That seems to be going a bit too far," Lily said, arching an eyebrow.

"I suppose after all those years, the jobs just caught up with him," James said, shrugging carelessly.

**Bill and Charlie decided to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologizing most profusely, said that he really needed to get to work. **

"So what, he can't spare an hour or two to see off his family," Lily said scathingly.

**"I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment," he told them. "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me."**

"Let's just hope that one day he will learn how to sort out the priorities in his life," Remus said softly.

"Besides, Crouch starting to rely on Percy?" Sirius said disbelievingly. "I mean, he doesn't even know his name!"

**"Yeah, you know what, Percy?" said George seriously. "I reckon he'll know your name soon." **

They all started laughing and James exclaimed, "Go George!"

Unfortunately all the laughter woke up a certain green-eyed baby. And even more unfortunately, nobody noticed. Harry sat up a little bit in his crib and looked over at his parents and 'uncles' wondering what on earth they were doing.

**Mrs Weasley had braved the telephone in the village Post Office to order three ordinary Muggle taxis to take them to London.**

"Wonder how she did with it," Lily said with a giggle.

"Can't have been too badly or she wouldn't have gotten the taxis," Remus pointed out.

**"Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us," Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. **

"That would probably be easier," Lily said, smiling slightly.

**"But there weren't any to spare... oh dear, they don't look happy, do they?"**

"Well, no I doubt they would," said Lily.

"Why wouldn't they?" James asked her.

"Just keep reading," came her answer.  
**  
Harry didn't like to tell Mrs. Weasley that Muggle taxi drivers rarely transported owls, and Pigwidgeon was making an ear-splitting racket. Nor did it help that a number of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk sprang open, causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg.**

"That would make sense," said James, trying to suppress a laugh.

**The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the fact that they were jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. Crookshanks took quite a while to recover from the fireworks, and by the time they entered London, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all severely scratched.**

"Not exactly the best start to the term, is it," Remus noted.

"It's raining, they were uncomfortable on the way to Kings Cross and they've nearly been clawed to death by Crookshanks," James counted. "No, not a good start at all."

**They were very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain was coming down harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station. **

"Harry, I hope you've put on a warm jacket," Lily said fussingly.

"Don't be a mother hen Lily, Harry will be fine," James said.

**Harry was used to getting onto platform nine and three-quarters by now. It was a simple matter of walking straight through the apparently solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. The only tricky part was doing this in an unobtrusive way, so as to avoid attracting Muggle attention. They did it in groups today; Harry, Ron and Hermione (the most conspicuous, as they were accompanied by Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks) **

"They could have easily solved that by giving one of them to a different group," Sirius said.

"Well, either they didn't think of it or they wanted to just get them all across," James said impatiently, "Now let me continue!"

**went first; they leant casually against the barrier, chatting unconcernedly, and slid sideways through it ... and as they did so, platform nine and three-quarters materialized in front of them. **

**The Hogwarts Express, gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist.**

Harry was by now sick of being ignored. He stood up in his crib and looked at what the adults were doing. They appeared to be all focusing on something that was in Daddy's hands…

Harry pouted, how come that thing got all the attention? He wanted to be held by Daddy.

Of course, most normal babies would cry when they didn't like something. However, even at this tender age, Harry James Potter was not like most and he decided that there was no way he was giving up his parents, goddaddy and god-wolf's attention to that.

Harry looked at the thing and just stared at it. After a while it floated out of his Daddy's hands and then towards him in his cot. He gurgled happily when it reached his cot but then looked up in fear when James gave a startled exclamation.

James was just staring at his hands which had formerly held the book that told what would happen nearly fourteen years from now… and it was currently disappearing for some unknown reason. He, along with the other three adults, looked up and saw, with some incredulity, that the book had gone to Harry. James was the one that accidentally yelled and he winced, knowing immediately that this was a mistake as Harry was terrified when somebody raised their voice either around him or at him. It was why Lily generally tried not to berate the marauders too loudly around him or if she did then with a silencing charm.

Lily had stood up and was walking over to Harry slowly and carefully while saying, "Hey, Harry, what are you doing? Come on give that back to Mummy."

Harry looked up, still a little scared from the yell. That, coupled with the fact that the book had stopped Mummy, Daddy, Paddy and Moony from realizing that he was awake, made Harry decide to get rid of the book, so to speak.

He just garbled a few words but, to the horror of the four adults, the book disappeared. In truth, since Harry had absolutely no control over his magic and the only thing he had going for him was accidental magic, the book hadn't really disappeared but moved… over to the bookshelf, the last place that it had been stored.

Of course, the four adults had no idea of this and were currently panicking. "What do we do? That book has so much information… what if it falls into the wrong hands?" This was Sirius.

"Come on Harry, give the book back to Daddy," James begged his son, kneeling down in front of the cot.

"There's no way that Harry's magic is strong enough to completely get rid of the book," Lily said flatly. "James, Sirius, Remus, you guys are the marauders, can't you find some way to get it back?"

The three men exchanged a glance and, at the same instance, the same idea came into their heads. "We've got an idea Lily, just give us a few minutes, alright?" James said to his wife quickly as he got up.

"In the meantime, see if you can't get Harry to get it back," Remus added to her as they all rushed out.

Lily nodded and then turned back to her son. "Hey baby, where'd you put the book?" she asked him in a sweet tone. "Will you give it back to Mummy?" Harry just cocked his head at her.

This went on for quite a few minutes before the three marauders returned. Lily immediately turned to them and said, "Well? Did you find it?"

"No," came Sirius' answer.

"But we found a way to get Harry to give it back," said James, sounding pleased with himself.

"I've tried everything, but if you think you can, go ahead," said Lily, gesturing at her son with one pale hand.

"Hey buddy," Sirius said to his godson brightly. He motioned to Remus to come forward first and then turned back towards the baby that was looking at him curiously with his big green eyes.

"Alright Harry, now, that book you took from Daddy is very important and we really want it back. So here's what we're gonna do," Sirius explained to the baby.

"We want you to give it back and then we will give lots of chocolate!" Sirius said triumphantly as Remus took out a huge block of Honeydukes finest and waved it at Harry proudly. Lily just looked at them incredulously.

"What are you, insane?" James asked, also looking incredulous. Lily was about to back him up when James added, "You're supposed to offer him the toy first and then if that doesn't work you give him the chocolate!"

"No it's not, it's chocolate first and then toy. It's exactly the same with women, except you substitute the toy with flowers," Sirius argued.

"No it's not Padfoot, you give the girl flowers first and then chocolate!" James snapped.

"It doesn't really matter what we use to bribe Harry as long as we manage to bribe him!" Remus snapped at the both of them, marking all three men to Harry.

Lily was taking in the scene and said disbelievingly, "The secret to the Marauders is _bribery_!?"

"Come on Harry, all you have to do is give us the book back and then you get everything in the bag," Sirius was urging to Harry. Remus had the whole bag in Harry's crib so the baby could see what was inside. And there was a lot. They had apparently made the bag bigger on the inside then the outside because there were a least two dozen different toys along with what seemed to be half the chocolate in Honeydukes.

Harry was still gurgling before finally, out of nowhere, the book came hurtling out and hit James right in the back of the head.

"Ow," the dark-haired marauder groaned as both of the other marauders along with Lily came rushing to him.

"Are you alright mate?" Sirius asked him, pulling him up.

"Yeah, fine," James said, blinking a little to regain focus. "What about the book?" he asked when he was coherent enough.

Lily grabbed it and had a look and then reported, "It's absolutely fine, no harm done."

They all sighed in relief and James went over to Harry and fondly ruffled his hair as he said, "Did my baby just use his magic, huh?"

Harry just gurgled in response.

Lily went over to the couches and said, "We should finish the chapter, Harry's rather well occupied. Oh, and I believe you three can be the ones to put him to sleep today," she added sweetly.

The other three men looked confused as to what she meant… until they looked down. In his crib Harry had emptied the contents of the bag and was currently playing with a stuffed toy snitch while chewing on a chocolate frog. He was also surrounded by Cauldron Cakes, Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, plain chocolate and Chocolate Frogs.

After a pause Sirius said, "We didn't think that out very well did we?"

James shook his head. He still vividly remembered the last time Harry had been on a sugar high. He hadn't slept for two days.

"Are you guys going to sit there and mope or are you going to read?" Lily asked them, amusement in her tone.

"We're coming," said Remus, hoping that some more reading would take their mind off the nightmare that was sure to come as soon it was Harry's bedtime. They all knew from experience that taking it away would most likely make it worse.

So they returned to the couch where James took the book off Lily and, after putting a spell on it to stop anyone from being able to summon it, continued reading.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. **

"No, you should go to the end, that way you won't be disturbed," Sirius exclaimed.

"But then again, the middle is where you can cause the most chaos," James pointed out.

"Good point," Sirius conceded.

**They then hopped back down onto the platform, to say goodbye to Mrs Weasley, Bill and Charlie.**

**"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny goodbye.**

"What? Why?" asked Sirius, looking a little taken aback.

"Maybe it's got something to do with that even Bagman was talking about," Remus answered thoughtfully.

"Whatever it is, they had better not keep us in suspense much longer," Lily said bitterly. "I swear, I hate mysteries.

**"Why?" said Fred keenly. **

"Yes, that's what we want to know," James exclaimed.

"In other words, please answer," said Sirius.

**"You'll see," said Charlie. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it... **

"I doubt that they'd want to talk to him anyway," said Remus.

"Besides, he'd probably just say that he had to work and couldn't talk anyway," Sirius said in disgust.

**it's 'classified information until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it', after all."**

"Ha, so it is about what Bagman was talking about earlier," James said triumphantly.

"The question is what is that though?" Sirius said wryly.

"Well, Charlie's got something to do with it so that gives us another clue," Remus offered.

"Not much of one though," Lily muttered.  
**  
"Yeah, I sort of wish I was back at Hogwarts this year," said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train. **

"That seems to be a better one," said Lily.

"I wonder what's so good that they would actually want to go back to school," Sirius said curiously.

"Well, if it's this important then it's most likely going to be announced at the feast," Remus pointed out logically, making Lily brighten.

**"**_**Why?**_**" said George impatiently. **

"I'm sure we'd all love to know," said Sirius.

"So just cut the suspense and tell us," James finished.

**"You're going to have an interesting year," said Bill, his eyes twinkling. **

"So it's going to last all year," Lily said thoughtfully.

"I wonder what it could be," said James cluelessly. "I mean, we've got a few clues but they just don't seem to add up."

"If it's really going to be announced at the feast, then we'll find out in the next chapter or so anyway," Remus said.

**"I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it..." **

"So it's something you can watch," Lily said.

"Well that's hardly any better than the others," James said grouchily.

"Yeah, I mean it could even be a different sort of Quidditch Cup or something," Sirius said.

"Hey, that might be it!" James exclaimed. "I mean, the older ones like Quidditch, so they'd want to be there and remember what Bagman was talking about?"

"What, how they'd all signed?" Sirius said, looking a little doubtful.

"Yeah, maybe they're having an interschool Quidditch Cup," James said, looking entirely enthused about the idea.

"It's possible, it would explain why Crouch, as the Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation would be involved," Remus said thoughtfully.

"Well, we're never going to find out unless we continue," Lily pointed out.

James nodded and picked up the book, hoping that it would reveal that he was right.

**"A bit of **_**what?**_**" said Ron.**

"Just tell us, we want to know if James is right," Sirius urged the book.

**But at that moment, the whistle blew, **

"Oh dear, they're going to miss the train," Lily cried.

**and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them towards the train doors. **

**"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione, as they climbed on board, closed the door and leant out of the window to talk to her.**

**"Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. **

"Aw, isn't my boy so polite," Lily cooed fondly. Although she had to admit, she was rather upset that Mrs Weasley was seeing her son off and not her. It really wasn't fair.

**"Oh, it was my pleasure, dears," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'd invite you for Christmas, **

"Well, why shouldn't she?" James said bewilderingly.

**but... well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with... one thing and another."**

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sirius said, now looking rather annoyed. It was one thing to have a vague mystery but then to just give you all these tantalizing clues but not anything definite was just plain cruel.

**"Mum!" said Ron irritably. "What d'you three know that we don't?"**

**"You'll find out this evening, I expect," said Mrs Weasley, smiling. **

"Good!" they all exclaimed.

"If we had to have waited any longer then I'd say all of us would have blown up from suspense," said James.

**"It's going to be very exciting - mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"**

"What rules?" said James, paranoia in his voice. "They can't have changed the rules of Quidditch?!?" he sounded almost heartbroken at the prospect.

"We don't know for sure that it's even anything to do with Quidditch," Lily pointed out. "It could be something completely different."

"Why don't we all just keep our sanity and wait for the next chapter," Remus said calmly.

**"What rules?" said Harry, Ron, Fred and George together. **

"I know I'd love to know," Sirius muttered.

**"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you ... now, behave, won't you? **

Lily snorted and said, "Considering the fact that Fred and George are much like these guys those words are most likely completely pointless."

Sirius, James and Remus just shared a grin.

_**Won't**_** you, Fred? And you, George?" **

"Don't worry, they won't," said Sirius.

"In fact, I bet you they start working on that Joke Shop of theirs as soon as their out of sight," James said with a grin.

**The pistons hissed loudly, and the train began to move. **

**"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred bellowed out of the window, as Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie sped away from them. "What rules are they changing?" **

"If they haven't by now then they won't," Remus said knowledgably.

"At least we don't have to wait long," Sirius said optimistically.

**But Mrs Weasley only smiled and waved. Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill and Charlie had Disapparated. **

**Harry, Ron and Hermione went back to their compartment. The thick rain splattering the windows made it difficult to see out of them. Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting.**

"Well, that's one usage for them I suppose," James said, his lips twitching.

"The owl will ruin them," Lily said, also smiling.

"That's probably the point," Sirius told her.

**"Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts," he said grumpily, sitting down next to Harry. **

"Yeah, why couldn't he have just said it then," James grumbled.

"Yeah, would have saved us a lot of suspense," Sirius agreed as he leaned back into the chair and crossed his arms.

**"At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what -" **

**"SHH!" Hermione whispered suddenly, **

"Why, what happened?" Lily asked sharply.

"They're on the Hogwarts Express Lily, I doubt anything all that bad can happen," James said reassuringly though he looked a little worried. Parental instincts.

**pressing her finger to her lips and pointing towards the compartment next to theirs. Harry and Ron listened, and heard a familiar drawling voice drifting through the open door.**

"Drawling," said Remus in disgust as he recalled where he had heard that before, "Wasn't that how they said that the Malfoy kid talked?"

"Yeah, it was," James said disgustedly.

**"...Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. **

"What's so good about Durmstrang?" Lily asked curiously.

"Supposedly it teaches the Dark Arts, but nothing really serious or anything, that I know of anyway," Sirius said, correcting himself. "I'm pretty sure it's just the basics but more that Hogwarts does."

"And Durmstrang also doesn't admit muggle-borns," James added.

**He knows the Headmaster, **

"That doesn't bode well," said Lily. "Do either of you know who the Headmaster is?"

"No, but if Lucius knows him then I agree with Lily – that doesn't bode well," said James grimly.

"Well then let's just hope that Harry doesn't meet him," Remus said.

**you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore - the man's such a Mudblood-lover – **

James narrowed his eyes but didn't swear out loud after the disaster that had occurred last time. The last thing he needed was to have Harry know _another _swear word while on a sugar high.

**and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riff-raff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away." **

"To bad, I'm sure Hogwarts would have done better without him," Sirius said scathingly.

**"Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. **

"I would say that it's the other way around actually," Lily said.

**Durmstrang students actually **_**learn**_** them, not just the defense rubbish we do..."**

**Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy's voice. **

"Smart Hermione, you don't want to waste the trip by listening to him," James said approvingly.

**"So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she said angrily. "I wish he **_**had**_** gone, then we wouldn't have had to put up with him."**

"Hear, hear," the three men cheered.

"Wonder if I can convince Narcissa that Durmstrang is better than Hogwarts," Sirius mused out loud. "That way we can stop him from going to school with Harry."

"You really shouldn't try to change history," Remus said half-heartedly knowing full well that they were all (himself included) going to try and change things, namely Lily and James' death.

**"Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" said Harry.**

**"Yes," said Hermione sniffily, "and it's got a horrible reputation. **

"That's true," James said, nodding. "I remember my mum talking about them."

"It has got a bad reputation, but I honestly don't know how much Dark Arts they teach," Sirius said. "After all, with the way rumours fly, it could be completely exaggerated.

**According to **_**Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe**_**, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts. **

The other three looked over at Sirius who shrugged and said, "I haven't read it, all I know is what I've heard from different members of the family."

"Besides," Lily added, "It's likely to have changed a bit since Harry's time – the Headmaster is probably new as well."

**"I think I've heard of it," said Ron vaguely. "Where is it? What country?" **

"That's a fair question, do you know where it is," James asked Sirius curiously.

"Nah, do you?" Sirius asked him.

"No clue," James answered, shaking his head.

**"Well, nobody knows, do they?" said Hermione, raising her eyebrows. **

**"Er - why not?" said Harry.**

"Well, most schools are hidden," Lily said. "I don't know why though."

"Neither do I," James said, sounding like he didn't really care about this fact.

**"There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. **

"Really," said Remus interestedly. "I didn't know that."

"Call the press!" Sirius said dramatically, "There's something that Remus Lupin doesn't know!"

"Oh shut it Padfoot!" Remus snapped, blushing.

"I suppose it makes sense though," Lily said thoughtfully. "I mean, some schools are going to be bitter about the fact that Hogwarts is known as the best magical school in the world."

**Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets," said Hermione matter-of-factly. **

"What kind of secrets can a _school_ have?" James asked bewilderedly.

"They're just paranoid," Sirius said dismissively.

"You never know, they might have some ancient book or artifact that's thought to have been lost," Lily countered.

"I suppose," Sirius said doubtfully.

**"Come off it," said Ron, starting to laugh. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts, **

"Perhaps not quite as large, but around the same size," Remus said. At his friends blank look he added, "From what I have heard, Hogwarts has to cater to a larger population than other schools."

**how are you going to hide a dirty great castle?" **

"Hogwarts is hidden," Lily stated matter-of-factly.

"It is?" James said in surprise.

"Yes, it's in Hogwarts: A History," Remus answered.

**"But Hogwarts **_**is**_** hidden," said Hermione, in surprise, "everyone knows that... **

"I didn't," Sirius said. "And I don't think a lot of people do."

**well, everyone who's read **_**Hogwarts: A History**_**, anyway."**

"That sounds better," James said, laughing a little.

**"Just you, then," said Ron. "So go on - how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?" **

**"It's bewitched," said Hermione. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE."**

"That's cool," Sirius said in a slightly awed voice.

"I thought you knew about the enchantments you can place on buildings," Lily said to him.

"Yeah, the ones that my Dad put on Grimmauld Place," Sirius answered. "And that wasn't one of them. Surprising, really, he hated muggles, you'd think he'd want to stop them from coming to the door."

"I suppose he didn't want it to seem suspicious," James said. "I mean, if you guys walked out of an 'old ruin' then it would seem rather odd, wouldn't it."

**"So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider, too?" **

"No, I don't think that they'd copy Hogwarts," Sirius said, shaking his head. "Too much pride."

**"Maybe," said Hermione, shrugging, "or it might have Muggle-Repelling Charms on it, like the World Cup Stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it unplottable -"**

"All of which were on my old house," Sirius said.

"Just how obsessed was your father with security?" Lily asked him incredulously.

"Very," Sirius answered her simply.

**"Come again?"**

**"Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot it on a map, can't you?"**

**"Er... if you say so," said Harry.**

"Doesn't seem like Harry knows a lot about wards," said Lily.

"Hasn't inherited his mothers love of reading," Remus said, chuckling.

**"But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms."**

"How does she know that," Lily asked, looking taken aback.

"Must have found it in some book or another," said Remus, furrowing his brow. "Not one that I've read though. Shut up Sirius," he added as Sirius opened his mouth, no doubt to 'call the Daily Prophet' once more.

**"Ah, think of the possibilities, said Ron dreamily. "It would've been easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident... **

The three marauders laughed and Sirius said brightly, "I like the way Ron thinks!"

"It wouldn't be nice though," Remus said, his lips twitching.

**shame his mother likes him..."**

This time all four of them laughed quite loudly making Harry look up from where he was currently engrossed in a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans to look at them curiously. When nothing interesting happened he happily went back to his food.

**The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved further north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. **

"It really is horrible weather, isn't it?" Lily said, wincing sympathetically.

"Especially for this time of year," James agreed.

**The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share.**

"So generous," Lily said fondly.

**Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, **

"Longbottom, as in Frank and Alice's son?" Lily asked.

"Must be," said James. "Wonder what he grew up to be like?"

**a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother. **

"Why would he be brought up by his grandmother?" Sirius asked cautiously.

"I'm not liking the answers going through my head," Lily said grimly.

**Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette. Some of its magic seemed to be wearing off now; it was still squeaking "**_**Troy! Mullet! Moran!**_**, but in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way. **

**After half an hour or so, Hermione, growing tired of the endless Quidditch talk, **

"How can you get tired of Quidditch?" James asked, shocked.

"Very easily," Lily responded.

**buried herself once more in **_**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4**_**, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm. **

"She's very eager to learn," Remus noted.

"Bet you she's top of the year," Sirius said. "Like you, Moony."

**"Gran didn't want to go," he said miserably. "Wouldn't buy tickets. **

"Wouldn't buy tickets?" James said faintly.

"James, shut up," all three of them said at once, wanting to get to the end of the chapter. James pouted.

**It sounded amazing, though."**

**"It was," said Ron. "Look at this, Neville ..."**

**He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack, and pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum.**

"I'm beginning to think that he's going to keep that for the rest of his life," said Lily amusedly.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Sirius said with a grin. "Have you seen how many figurines James has?"

**"Oh, **_**wow**_**," said Neville enviously, as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand.**

**"We saw him right up close, as well," said Ron. "We were in the Top Box -"**

**"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley." **

"Let me guess, the Malfoy kid?" Sirius said disgustedly.

"Must be," James answered.

**Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies,**

"This guys just pathetic, he needs to have bodyguards," Sirius said incredulously.

"At least Snivellus fought us head to head," James added.

"This kid probably just uses his father's influence to get what he wants," Remus said disgustedly.

**both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer.**

"Won't make them anymore smarter," said Lily. She had always hated people who hid behind others for protection, especially when they instigated the fights, like it seemed to be done here.

**Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar. **

"Well, that was smart," Sirius said sarcastically.

**"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," said Harry coolly.**

"That's right Harry, don't automatically go for your wand like your father would do," Lily said approvingly. James didn't deny it, but he was proud that his son had more self-restraint.

**"Weasley ... what is **_**that**_**?" said Malfoy, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage. **

"Oh no, Ron left his dress robes there," Remus said, sounding very sorry for the redhead.

**A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the moldy lace cuff very obvious.**

"Should have used something else," James said with a wince.

**Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, **

"It'll be too late," Sirius said sympathetically.

**but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled. **

**"Look at this!" said Malfoy in ecstasy, **

"Bastard," James said under his breath and then threw a paranoid glance at his son to make sure that he wouldn't repeat it again.

**holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle. "Weasley, you weren't thinking of **_**wearing**_** these, were you? I mean - they were very fashionable in about 1890..." **

"Doesn't he think himself big, teasing someone for not having as much money as him," Lily snapped angrily.

"Not even Snape went that low," James said, for once in his life giving Snape a sort-of compliment.

**"Eat dung, Malfoy!" said Ron, the same colour as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. **

"A very good idea," Sirius said approvingly.

**Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly. **

**"So... going to enter, Weasley? **

"Going to enter what?" Lily asked.

**Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? **

"The Weasleys don't need glory, they have a good reputation unlike the Malfoys," James snapped.

"To true mate," Sirius agreed.

**There's money involved as well, you know... you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won..." **

"Oh, he must be talking about the thing that all the adults were going on about," Remus said, comprehension dawning.

"Playing Quidditch at school for money," said James dreamily.

"You don't even know if it's got anything to do with Quidditch," Lily reminded him. 

"What are you talking about?" snapped Ron.

**"**_**Are you going to enter?**_**" Malfoy repeated. "I suppose **_**you**_** will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"**

"From what I can see, you're the one that's showing off, not Harry," Lily snapped.

"Yeah, Harry can't help it if he's good at Quidditch," James added.

"Shut it about the Quidditch until we find out whether it's true or not, will you" Lily requested. _**The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4**_**. **

"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," said Hermione testily, over the top of

"Yeah, listen to Hermione," Sirius said. "You're not welcome there."

**A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face. "Don't tell me you don't **_**know**_**?" he said delightedly. **

"His father must have told him," James said in disgust.

"Typical Malfoy," Sirius snorted.

**"You've got a father and a brother at the Ministry and you don't even **_**know**_**? My God, **_**my**_** father told me about it ages ago... heard it from Cornelius Fudge.**

"Yes, well Arthur obviously followed the guidelines that were set, unlike yours," Sirius said, his eyes flashing.

**But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry ... maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley ... yes ... they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him ..."**

"Why that!" Lily said furiously. "How dare he?!"**  
**  
**Laughing once more, Malfoy beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared. **

"Talk about a coward," Remus said.

**Ron got to his feet and slammed the sliding compartment door so hard behind them that the glass shattered."**

**"**_**Ron!**_** said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered "**_**Reparo!**_**", and the glass shards flew back into a single pane, and back into the door. **

**"Well ... making it look like he knows everything and we don't ..." Ron snarled. **

"They know far more than he does," Remus said. "And they found out about it fairly and not through bribery."

"Hopefully one day he'll find out that money doesn't always help," said Lily.

**"**_**Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry**_** ... dad could've got promotion any time... he just likes it where he is..."**

"I think he's got a point, I don't see Arthur wanting to move from muggle relations," Lily said.

"No way, he likes it to much," James agreed.

**"Of course he does," said Hermione quietly. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron -"**

**"Him! Get to me! As if!" said Ron, picking up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes and squashing it into a pulp.**

"Taking it out on the poor chocolate," Remus said reproachfully.

"You and your chocolate obsession Moony," Sirius said, chuckling.

**Ron's bad mood continued for the rest of the journey. He didn't talk much as they changed into their school robes, and was still glowering when the Hogwarts Express slowed down at last, and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station. **

"The poor first years must be terrified!" Lily said sympathetically.

**As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Hermione bundled Crookshanks up in her cloak and Ron left his dress robes over Pigwidgeon as they left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. **

"I feel sorry for the first years," Remus said. "Can you imagine going across the lake in that weather?"

"I don't particularly want to," Lily said, shivering.

**The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.**

"You had better have put on a cloak Harry James Potter!" Lily said anxiously.

"He'll be fine, the carriages will shelter them," James said to her soothingly.

**"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform. **

**"All righ', Harry?" Hagrid bellowed back, waving. "See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!"**

"Well really, that's not exactly going to calm the first years now is it?" Lily said disapprovingly.

**First-years traditionally reached Hogwarts castle by sailing across the lake with Hagrid. **

**"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," said Hermione fervently, **

"Neither would I," all four of them said.

**shivering as they inched slowly along the dark platform with the rest of the crowd. A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville climbed gratefully into one of them, the door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track towards Hogwarts castle.**

"And that," James announced, "Is the end of the chapter. Who wants to read next?"

"I'll read it," Sirius said.

"Now we'll find out what teachers Harry has," Remus said.

"I really don't think it will have changed much, Moony," Sirius said.

------------------------------------------

_The Triwizard Tournament is next. And teachers… and Moony will also discover what he's been up to in Harry's past. :-)_


	13. The Triwizard Tournament Pt 1

_This chapter originally had to be posted in two parts and since I wrote a filler to go between them I decided to keep it that way. Enjoy this half and I promise to have the next up soon!_

_------------------------_

**CHAPTER TWELVE **

**THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

"Oh no," said Lily, narrowing her eyes. "No way."

"The Triwizard Tournament!" Sirius and James exclaimed. "Do you think they're actually going to reinstate it?"

"It would be very interesting," Remus admitted. "Though dangerous."

"This must be what Molly and the boys were talking about before!" Lily said, comprehension dawning.

"Wait, you mean its not a Quidditch competition?" James asked, pouting.

"Don't pout, you look like a six-year-old," Lily advised.

"Besides, the Triwizard Tournament would be just as interesting," Remus exclaimed.

**Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale, leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. **

"It really is odd weather for this time of year," Lily commented.

"It can happen," James shrugged.

**Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle; Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, **

"Yes, you don't want to get a cold," Lily agreed approvingly.

Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes while James seemed torn. Lily was being fussy but he didn't want Harry to get cold either.

Harry gurgled and started chewing on the tail of a Hungarian Horntail stuffed toy.

"Harry, don't do that," Lily said to her son.

Harry just looked at her and continued chewing on it while still clutching his stuffed Snitch. He was making quick work with all his chocolate and sweets and seemed to be favouring the toy snitch and, for some strange reason, the Hungarian Horntail stuffed toy.

Sirius laughed and said in a teasing tone, "That's it Harry, rebel! Be a marauder!"

Lily sighed and said, "I'm never going to win, am I?"

"Nope," said

**looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit Entrance Hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. **

**"Blimey," said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, "if that keeps up, the lake's going to overflow. **

"I really do feel sorry for the first years," Lily said sympathetically.

**I'm soak- ARGH!"**

**A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling on top Ron's head, and exploded.**

The three men laughed and James said, "Peeves will never change."

"I think its mean," Lily contradicted, though with a smile on her face.

**Drenched and spluttering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry just as a second water bomb dropped - narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, **

"Hey, that's going to far!" Lily said indignantly. "Harry could get sick!"

"Don't fuss Lily," said Sirius.

**sending a wave of cold water over his trainers and into his socks.**

Lily narrowed her eyes and huffed, "You better make sure you change those sock Harry James Potter!"

**People all around them shrieked and started pushing into each other in their efforts to get out of the line of fire**

"They should let the ones that got hit first into the warmth," Lily said, shaking her head.

"She's got a point or Peeves would just go for them," Sirius agreed. "Though he's not usually like that so early in the year."

"Maybe he is in another fifteen years," James said indifferently.

**- Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow-tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again.**

"Although you may have a point Padfoot," James agreed. "He's not usually malicious, just absolutely annoying."

"Things happen," Remus shrugged. "Maybe he's just annoyed about something.

"PEEVES!" yelled Professor McGonagall, deputy headmistress and Head of Gryffindor house, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor

"Whoa, is McGonagall losing her touch? She would never let herself skid around in this time," James said.

"She's probably just managed to loosen up a bit now that you guys have left school," Lily said dryly.

Remus snorted and responded, "Even if that was true, she would have to prepare herself for Harry."

"Maybe Harry's not that bad with rules," said Lily, sounding incredibly hopeful.

**and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself falling. "Ouch - sorry, Miss Granger -" **

"Poor Hermione!" Sirius and James said in unison.

Lily just shook her head and smiled slightly as she said, "Can't you leave her alone?"

"No!" came the answer from two of her favourite men. Sirius added, "It would be like being _nice _to Snivellus."

This time both Lily and Remus rolled their eyes while James nodded emphatically.

**"That's all right, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.**

**"Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upwards through her square-rimmed spectacles.**

"I think that Peeves should do what she says. She means business," said James, wincing.

"Yeah, I don't think even Peeves would dare cross McGonagall in a bad mood," Sirius agreed with a shudder.

"So why is that you three continually made her mad throughout school?" Lily asked in an amused tone.

"Me?" said Remus indignantly, "It was all them!"

"Lying to yourself isn't healthy, Moony," James said with a grin, receiving a glare in return.

**"Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" **

"Oh, he's horrible," Lily grumbled.

**And he aimed another bomb at a group of second-years who had just arrived.**

**"I shall call the Headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves -" **

"And there's no way that Peeves would ignore that warning," Remus completed.

"Yeah, both McGonagall and Dumbledore?" James agreed, actually shivering at the thought.

"Especially since Dumbledore would have the power to expel students," said Lily.

**Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.**

**"Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!" **

"The ones that got wet should be able to get changed," Lily said.

"Relax Lils, Harry and Ron will be able to get warmed up in the Great Hall," James said, knowing that it was those two (mainly Harry) that she was worried about.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione slipped and slid across the Entrance Hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face.**

"That's right, Harry and Hermione only got a little bit wet, Ron got absolutely soaked," Remus agreed sympathetically.  
**  
The Great Hall looked its unusual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in mid-air.**

"The House Elves did a brilliant job as always," James said brightly.

**The four house tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here.**

"And Harry, make sure that you get warmed up," said James, to the surprise of everyone in the warm. James blushed slightly, realizing that he had said this out loud. He also groaned almost imperceptibly when he saw the look in Sirius' eyes. He was never going to get away with it.

**Harry, Ron and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors**

James and Sirius, who had booed at when the trio had passed the Slytherin table, now cheered at the Gryffindor table and James and Lily were looking pleased as they had been wondering what house Harry had gotten into. Remus and Sirius were also both beaming.

**at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semi-transparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra festive and ensuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck. **

"Can he change clothes?" James asked curiously.

"Who know, who cares," Sirius answered carelessly. "I want to know if they're really having the Triwizard Tournament!"

**"Good evening," he said, beaming at them.**

**"Says who?" said Harry, taking off his trainers and emptying them of water. **

"Good boy Harry," Lily said approvingly.

"What, nothing to add James?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

"Shut it Padfoot," James snapped, blushing slightly. His friends were always on his case about being to overprotective.

**"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting, I'm starving." **

"The Sorting is slightly more important than the feast," Remus said slightly disapprovingly.

"No it's not," Sirius contradicted. "It just gets in the way of the food!"

"I don't think that the first years think of it like that," Lily responded.

"They will next year," Sirius said cheekily.

**The Sorting of the new students into houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own. **

"What?" Lily asked sharply. "What on earth would cause him to miss the feast?"

"I'm sure it's nothing important Lily," James soothed, though he looked worried himself.

"Maybe he got into trouble with Ron or something," Sirius suggested, grasping at straws.

"Yeah, that's possible," Remus agreed. "Remember, you two got in trouble when you turned all the lights on the train off and you guys missed the sorting?"

"Yeah, Harry must have gotten detention," James agreed, sounding as though he was really trying to convince himself.

**He was quite looking forward to it.**

"See, Harry has the right idea," Remus said approvingly.

"Of course, he's my son even if he has got James' genetics," Lily said teasingly.

**Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table, "Hiya, Harry!"**

**It was Colin Creevey, a third-year to whom Harry was something of a hero.**

"Aw, that's so cute," Lily said fondly.

"Yeah, Harry must be really popular," James added.

**"Hi, Colin," said Harry warily. **

Sirius laughed and said, "Looks like Harry's a little sick of it."

The other three all laughed.

**"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"**

"Well, I can sort of see why," Lily admitted amusedly. "Very hyper, isn't he?"

**"Er - good," said Harry. **

**"He's really excited!" said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. **

"That, Lily," said James to her previous comment, "Is an understatement."

"Sounds like it, doesn't it," Remus laughed.

**"I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?" **

**"Er - yeah, all right," said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron and Nearly Headless Nick. "Brothers and sisters usually go in the same house, don't they?" he said. **

"Nope," said Sirius. "Otherwise I would be in Slytherin."

"Or Regulus would be in Gryffindor," Remus pointed out. Sirius shuddered at the thought.

**He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor.**

"Good family," James said approvingly.

"Though I am a little surprised that Percy isn't in Slytherin," Remus said thoughtfully, "After all, he obviously has a lot of ambition."

**"Oh, no, not necessarily," said Hermione. **

"No, everybody is there own person, that's why the Sorting Hat has to sort you,"  
Lily said, "Nobody else would be able to do it correctly."

**"Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical, you'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?" **

"Actually, twins are always the least likely to go into the same house because they always have a different mixture of genetics," Remus said, "They may look alike but that's generally where the similarities end."

**Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first-years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the Entrance Hall floor, but there was another empty chair, too, and he couldn't think who else was missing. **

"Maybe there's another teacher this year?" James asked.

"Or someone to explain the Triwizard Tournament," Lily suggested.

**"Where's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers.**

"Maybe that's who the chair belongs to," Sirius mentioned.

"Maybe," James shrugged.

**They had never yet had a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms. **

"You're joking," said Lily disbelievingly.

"What on earth could have happened that all of them had left?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Who knows," said James, "Let's just keep reading, maybe it'll mention it."

**Harry's favourite by far had been**

Here Sirius stopped and started laughing. The other three just stared at him in bewilderment, not seeing what was so funny.

"I – I sh-should have known," Sirius choked out still clutching the book.

James was getting impatient and so went over to his best friend to have a look at what was so funny. At first his eyes widened and then he just shook his head and said, "I should have known…"

"Should have known what?" both Lily and Remus snapped.

"I'm telling you now, _sir," _said Sirius, making Remus look at him in surprise. Sirius paused for dramatic effect and said,

**Professor Lupin, **

Remus' jaws dropped and he said quietly, "What?!?"

Lily looked delighted, "Congratulations Remus, you'd make a brilliant teacher!"

"But – but, I'm a werewolf!" he spluttered.

"More importantly you became a teacher, which is against the marauder code," Sirius lectured, grinning. He and James both knew that being a teacher was Remus' dream except that he had always believed that no one would hire a werewolf.

"I know Padfoot," James nodded solemnly, "I mean, a marauder, teaching? Giving points? Assigning detentions?"

"I hope you didn't give Harry a detention," Sirius teased.

Remus laughed, feeling relieved that he was still alive and also feeling selfish that he was so pleased that he had been a part of Harry's life.

"So, Sir, can we continue?" James asked.

**who had resigned last year. **

"Oh, what why would you resign?" Sirius exclaimed.

"I'm a werewolf," Remus said plainly.

"Remus Lupin if you ever use that excuse again then I swear I will hex you and I will force you to sleep on the couch for the next year," Lily threatened, waving her wand. She was so preoccupied that she didn't even notice Harry eyeing her wand with interest.

Remus, on his part, had turned white and gulped audibly as he said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good," Lily said, pleased. "Now, I'm sure there is another explanation so lets keep going."

Sirius complied, his lips twitching and James seemed to be struggling not to laugh. Remus threw them both a dirty look which they studiously ignored.

**He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there.**

**"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!" said Hermione, looking anxious.**

"No, even if Dumbledore couldn't find anyone then the Ministry would appoint someone," Lily said, frowning slightly.

"Lets hope that Dumbledore found someone and they're just late," Sirius said dryly. "I'd hate to see who the Ministry would appoint."  
**  
Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway grey hear. **

"See, they're both the same teachers," James said.

"Yeah, I knew they wouldn't change much," said Sirius confidently.

"You've heard all of three teachers," Lily pointed out. "Charms, Herbology and Transfiguration. There are still about fifteen other subjects."

**She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. **

"See, that's a new teacher," Remus pointed out triumphantly.

Sirius and James scowled.

**On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, **

Sirius' reading started to slow down as he started to stare at the book in disbelief. James sat up and started to stare at the book, praying that it wasn't what he thought it was…

**greasy-haired Potions master, Snape – **

"I don't believe it," James said disbelievingly. "There is no bloody way that Dumbledore would be crazy enough to hire _him,"_

Sirius was staring, horrified, at the book and muttering under his breath, "No way… Harry's teacher… a _master?!?!?!?!?!"_

"You know when I said that there were sure to be new teachers I wasn't expecting this," Remus said slowly.

"So Snape is Slughorns replacement," Lily mused. "Well, it's rather expected I suppose… he was the best in the class. Though I would think he would rather the Defense job."

James suddenly started laughing and, when his wife and two friends had looked at him strangely, explained, "Can you imagine the look on his face when Moony became the DADA teacher?"

Sirius laughed and Remus' eyes widened and he mumbled, "I'm going to have to work with him?!? No wonder I resigned!"

"I'm sure he's not that bad of a teacher," Lily said, sounding as though she was trying to believe this herself.

**Harry's least favourite person at Hogwarts.**

"Smart choice, Harry," Sirius said.

"I hope Snape didn't do anything to encourage that feeling," James said with eyes narrowed.

"He better not have," Lily said threateningly.

**Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, **

"That greasy-haired git!" James said, "How could he?"

Lily's eyes were cold and it was quite clear that if Snape did anything than he wouldn't like the consequences. Lily may have been a law-abider but when she was provoked she could be very wicked.

**a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose – **

They all laughed and Sirius said triumphantly, "Take that Snivellus!"

"You guys do realize that if it weren't for the fact that you hexed him at any given opportunity than maybe he wouldn't be so bitter and wouldn't take his anger out on Harry," Remus pointed out.

James' eyes widened and he thought painfully that he had somehow failed his son… Remus did have a point. James just hoped that Harry never found out about that especially since James wasn't around to explain himself.

**Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own schooldays.**

"That's an understatement," Remus snorted. James was to preoccupied to say anything.

**On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very centre of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, **

"Well, at least Dumbledore's still Headmaster," Lily said brightly.

"Of course, what would Hogwarts be like without Dumbledore," James laughed.

**the Headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep-green robes embroidered with many stars and moons.**

"Aw, why would he wear green," Sirius whined. "Green is for Slytherin."

"Really, not all Slytherin's are evil," Lily tutted, "Besides, as Headmaster, he can't be biased towards one house."

"So, why doesn't he wear a colour that none of the houses have," James countered.

"Because he would only have a choice between purple, orange and pink," Remus said calmly.

"Dumbledore in pink," James mused, "Now that's just weird."

**The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through hid half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. **

"He's not usually like that," Lily said, sounding slightly surprised. "He looks around the hall all pleased and everything."

"It doesn't really matter, he's probably just brooding over something," James said dismissively.

**Harry glanced up at the ceiling, too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightening flashed across it.**

**"Oh, hurry up," Ron moaned, beside Harry. "I could eat a Hippogriff." **

"Sounds like Sirius," Remus said, smirking.

Sirius threw him a glare and a pillow.

**The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened, and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first-years up to the top of the Hall. **

"The opening Feast hasn't changed much, has it?" James said, remembering his own.

"No, just having to see Snape's face up at the _staff table _of all places," Sirius said, shuddering.

**If Harry, Ron and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first-years looked. **

"I bet," Lily said, wincing.

"Yeah, poor kids," Remus agreed.

**They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailing. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school – **

"Yeah, they're not having the best day today, are they?" James said.

"They just had to ride across a huge lake in the middle of an absolutely huge storm and now they are completely terrified as to how they are gong to get sorted," Sirius counted. "Nope, they're not."

**all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognised as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat.**

"Oh dear," said Lily. "Sounds as though he fell into the lake."

**The coat was so big for him that it looked as though he was draped in a furry black marquee. **

"It would look the same with everybody, Hagrid's so huge," Sirius snickered.

**His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eyes, gave a double thumbs-up and mouthed, "I fell in the lake!" **

"Thought so," said Lily ruefully, shaking her head.

**He looked positively delighted about it.**

"Why would anybody be _delighted _about something like that?" Sirius asked, bewildered.

**Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first-years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard's hat. The first-years stared at it. **

"Remember how confused we were when we first saw that hat?" James asked, getting lost in the memory.

"Yeah, I was so surprised when it started singing," Lily said with a laugh.

**So did everyone else. **

"That just confused me," Sirius said, "I mean when everyone just stared at it."

**For a moment, there was silence. Then a tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song: **

"Can't we just skip it?" James complained.

"No," Lily said shortly.

_**"A thousand years or more ago,**_**  
**_**When I was newly sewn,**_**  
**_**There lived four wizards of renown,**_**  
**_**Whose names are still well known:**_**  
**_**Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,**_

_**Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,**_**  
**_**Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,**_**  
**_**Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.**_**  
**_**They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,**_**  
**_**They hatched a daring plan**_**  
**_**To educate young sorcerers**_**  
**_**Thus Hogwarts School began**_

_**Now each of these four founders**_**  
**_**Formed their own house, for each**_**  
**_**Did value different virtues**_**  
**_**In the ones they had to teach.**_**  
**_**By Gryffindor, the bravest were**_**  
**_**Prized far beyond the rest**_**  
**_**For Ravenclaw, the cleverest**_**  
**_**Would always be the best**_**  
**_**For Hufflepuff, hard workers were**_**  
**_**Most worthy of admission;**_**  
**_**And power-hungry Slytherin**_**  
**_**Loved those of great ambition.**_**  
**_**While still alive they did divide**_**  
**_**Their favourites from the throng,**_**  
**_**Yet how to pick the worthy ones**_**  
**_**When they were dead and gone?**_**  
**_**'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,**_**  
**_**He whipped me off his head**_**  
**_**The founders put some brains in me**_**  
**_**So I could choose instead!**_**  
**_**Now slip me snug about your ears,**_**  
**_**I've never yet been wrong,**_**  
**_**I'll have a look inside your mind**_**  
**_**And tell where you belong!"**_

"That's a good song," Lily smiled.

"Yeah, but it didn't say anything about having to 'band together' from within," James added.

"I suppose it's because its not quite as important seeing as Voldemort isn't around to try and tear the school apart," Lily reasoned.  
**  
The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished.**

**"That's not the song it sang to when it sorted us," said Harry, clapping along with everyone else.**

"Of course not," James said, surprised.

"Well, if Harry hasn't been present for his other two years then he must not have realized that it sings a different one," Remus said.

**"Sings a different one every year," said Ron. "It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? **

"Well, yeah, I guess," said Sirius.

"Although nobody ever actually ever thinks about it," Lily added.

**I suppose it spends all year making up the next one." **

"He's right, that would get boring," James admitted. "But that is it's job."

**Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.**

**"When I call out your name, you will put on the Hat and sit on the stool," she told the first-years. **

"And this is where all the first years exchange looks of shocks," James narrated with a grin.

**"When the Hat announces your house, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.**

**"Ackerley, Stewart!" **

**A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, **

"You know, you'd think they wouldn't be quite as scared now that they know all they have to do is try on the hat," Sirius said.

"You were terrified," James said to him.

"Well, yeah, but I was afraid of being sorted into Slytherin," Sirius pointed out.

**picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on and sat down on the stool.**

_**"Ravenclaw!**_**" shouted the Hat.**

**Stewart Ackerley took off the Hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, **

"Ooh, Harry's crush!" Sirius and James said in unison.

**the Ravenclaw Seeker,**

"A Quidditch Player," James said approvingly. "Good choice, son." Lily rolled her eyes.

**cheering Steward Ackerley as he sat down. For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too.**

They all laughed and Lily cooed, "Aw, that's so cute!"

"No, value your independence Harry!" James laughed, wishing that he could be there to help Harry with his love life.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily asked.

"That women take control of your life," James answered promptly, making Lily roll her eyes in an amused manner.

**"Baddock, Malcolm!" **

**"**_**Slytherin!**_**" **

**The table on the other side of the Hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin house had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other.**

"Probably does, after all, Slytherin would have always made sure that no student in his house was a muggle-born," Sirius said disgustedly.

"And anybody raised in a magical household would know about Slytherin's reputation," Lily completed.

**Fred and George hissed as Malcolm Baddock as he sat down.**

"That is so you guys," Lily said, rolling her eyes. James and Sirius tried to look innocent.

**"Branstone, Eleanor!" **

_**"Hufflepuff!"**_

**"Cauldwell, Owen!"**

_**"Hufflepuff!"**_

"How come no one's going into Gryffindor?" Sirius complained.

**"Creevey, Dennis!"**

**Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forwards, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. **

**About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid,**

"That's the understatement of the century," James snorted.

"You know, I used to think that Harry was a giant," Lily said, laughing at her naiveté.

**with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming - a misleading impression,**

"Quite true," James said, smiling.

**for Harry, Ron and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature. **

"It's true," Sirius agreed. "The only thing that can be counted as dangerous about Hagrid are all of his pets.

"Yes, his pets are rather… interesting," James said, wincing slightly. "And he gives them all these crazy names as well."

**He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table, and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide - **

**"**_**Gryffindor!**_**" the Hat shouted.**

The three men all cheered and Sirius added satisfyingly, "About time."

**Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors, as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the Hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother. **

"They seem to be really close," Lily said fondly.

"The bond of brothers," James said, looking over at his two best friends, or, in his own words, his brothers.

**"Colin, I fell in!" he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. **

"And I still don't see what's so good about that," Remus said, shaking his head.

**"It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!" **

"Which would make it even worse," Lily exclaimed, shuddering.

**"Cool!" said Colin, just as excitedly. **

"You know, I'm beginning to think that this family is a little weird," said James thoughtfully.

"A little?" Sirius said wryly.

**"It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!"**

"I agree with James," Lily agreed.

**"**_**Wow!**_**" said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more then being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea-monster.**

"Definitely," said Remus, shaking his head.

**"Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? **

"You know, you'd think that they'd at least _try _to make sure Harry can't hear them," Remus pointed out.

"It is a little rude," Lily admitted, "Though rather cute."

_**Know who he is, Dennis?**_**" **

"If this Colin kid is as obsessed with Harry as it seems, then he probably would," Lily said.

"Yes, I bet Colin talks about him all the time at school," Remus agreed.

They all laughed and Harry pouted, wanting to know what was so interesting. They kept repeating things as well. Harry wondered who on earth Snape was…

-------------------

_Harry will find out soon... let me know what you thought!_


	14. Interlude: Adventure with Snape

_This was originally put between the two parts, so I figured I'd keep it that way. FOR THE RECORD, I am well aware that what occurs in this chapter is highly improbably, even in the HP world but suspend disbelief and enjoy!_

And I want to dedicate this chapter to **Zeropolis79 **and his daughter **Annabeth!**

**---------------**

_Harry had to wonder who on earth this Snape person was…_

Harry chewed on his chocolate thoughtfully and cocked his head to one side. Daddy and Paddy were talking about him a lot, maybe he was one of their friends? Harry pouted, he wanted to meet Daddy's friend! They always gave him lots of chocolate and toys and he got lots of attention.

Harry was to busy eating his chocolate to notice his toy Snitch glowing. What he did notice was when the room disappeared and he reappeared somewhere completely different. So he did the only thing he could think of when he was frightened and he wasn't with Mummy, Daddy, Uncle Paddy or Uncle Moony. He cried.

Back up at the castle, all four of the young adults had turned around when they had seen the glow of light to jump up in horror when Harry just disappeared.

Lily screamed and said, "What on earth happened? And which of you idiots bought Harry a toy that was a portkey?!?"

"It wasn't a portkey!" James exclaimed. "Harry must have used accidental magic to turn it into one!"

"Prongs, I'm glad that Harry is showing signs of being magical but why so powerful?" Sirius said, rushing to the cot and waving his wand to see if he could get any magical signatures.

"You think I know?" James snapped. "Come on, let's go to Dumbledore!"

The four adults rushed out of the room while four hundred miles away, a certain black-haired baby continued to cry in an old house in the town of Spinner's End.

"WAHHHHHHHHH," Harry bawled, wondering where on earth he was.

"Honestly Narcissa, haven't I told you not to bring Draco here?" a voice grumbled, sounding smooth and with a dangerous tone.

Harry looked at the door, still sobbing. A man walked through the door, he was rather tall and wore billowing black robes. His eyes were a cold black and his hair was long and greasy.

Severus Snape, longtime enemy of James Potter, stopped dead when, instead of a baby with blond hair, he saw a baby that had black hair and green eyes and looked suspiciously like his aforementioned longtime enemy.

Harry stopped crying when he spotted this man and looked at him curiously. He started to laugh and raised his arms to be picked up.

Snape just stared at the brat. What on earth was he meant to do? Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were due at his home at any minute and while he loathed James Potter with a passion, the baby's green eyes pierced him, reminding him of days long ago, under a tree with a beautiful woman with eyes exactly the same. He couldn't let Lily Evans son to be put in the hand of Death Eaters, even if that son had the last name Potter.

"Where did you come from?" he demanded icily, using his most dangerous voice, sneering disdainfully at the messy black hair that had been James Potters trademark.

Harry just giggled, thinking it was a game, like when his Daddy pretended to be a Tickle Monster.

"I asked you a question," Snape snapped at the baby, as though he actually expected the seven-month-old to answer.

Harry just cocked his head and waved his Hungarian Horntail stuffed toy at the man.

Snape sighed in exasperation and said, "Well fine then, I suppose we'll just have to find your parents. Lets just hope that Black is home, he's the only one that I know the address of." He turned around, cape twirling, and headed to the door. He turned to the baby and, upon seeing him still sitting, said impatiently, "Well? Aren't you coming?"

Harry just stared at the man curiously.

Snape sighed and walked purposefully towards the baby and picked him up disdainfully, as though he was a bag of rubbish. Harry giggled and kicked his legs, once more thinking it was a game. One of his legs hit Snape in the chin.

"Brat," the man muttered, glaring at the child in his arms. Stupid Potter genetics. It should have been his child that Lily was carrying, not Potters…

Harry just cocked his head and gurgled innocently. Snape turned around towards the door, Harry still held at arms length, dreading having to actually be seen in public with the boy.

Harry breathed in a few times, the steps jolting him, and he sneezed a few times in quick succession. Of course, he had just been crying and so all the phlegm that had built up in his nose fell all over the greasy-haired man in front of him.

Snape froze and stared at the child staring innocently back up at him. Black had better be at his house, or else this was going to be a very long morning.

Snape was beginning to get a headache. That damn baby wouldn't shut up. At all. And the boy had kicked him in the chin at least a dozen more times and he actually laughed about it!

Snape glared at the black-haired baby he was still holding at arms length. He practically ran up the stairs into the apartment building that Black lived at.

And there was that incessant giggling again! "Well, boy, what's so funny?" Snape demanded, finding it difficult to keep his balance while still holding the baby at arms length. He had already nearly tripped several times and he was only on the second floor. What on earth had possessed Black to get an apartment on the tenth floor? And _why _couldn't muggles have stairs that move?

Harry just stared at the strange man, wondering why he didn't take the elevator. All the bouncing up and down was making his tummy hurt.

_Damn Stairs. Damn this building. Damn Black. Damn the boy. Damn Potter. _

Snape kept on repeating the mantra in his head, hoping it would keep him sane for the next few minutes until he could hand the boy over to his godfather.

_Finally, _thought Snape with relief, though he did not show it, _the last flight of stairs. And the boy has finally stopped that giggling!_

If he had been paying attention to the baby, he would have realized that this was not such a good thing. The poor baby was turning green, after all he had eaten nearly all of the chocolate he had gotten from the marauders and now he was being constantly bounced up and down.

Just before Snape managed to reach the top step, Harry lost the battle with his stomach, throwing up all over Snape who froze and just stared at the boy in shock.

Harry seemed far more pleased now and was back to gurgling happily, completely ignoring the man in front of him who was staring at him with more and more anger.

Snape took a deep breath, he would not kill the baby. He would not kill the baby. Why couldn't he kill the baby? Because Lily would stare at him with those beautiful green eyes of hers, filled with hurt and disappointment, similar to that day after the OWL exams. And maybe because the three marauders would kill him in the most painful manner possible.

He walked up to the door that had 'Black, Sirius' on it and knocked irately, wanting to get the damned child away from him as quickly as humanly possible.

Dread started to overtake him as nobody answered. He continued to knock almost desperately, but the fates seemed against him today for nobody answered.

"Now what am I supposed to do with you?" he snarled at the child, who just stared back at him.

_The Leaky Cauldron – Tom knows everyone, surely he knows where the Potters live, _he thought and swiveled around and groaned as he caught sight of the stairs. Not more of those damn things.

"Albus, Harry just disappeared! There wasn't a single trace," Lily said to her former headmaster desperately as she barged into the mans office, followed quickly by three marauders.

"What do you mean he just disappeared?" Dumbledore asked, his twinkling eyes dieing down a little as he wondered what she meant by her words.

"She means that one second he was there, the next he was not," Sirius snapped, worried about the safety of his godson.

"Perhaps he just went somewhere else in the castle," Dumbledore mused. "After all, where else would he want to go except here?"

"Maybe back to Godrics Hollow," Lily said.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore nodded, the twinkling in his eyes coming back as he thought that Harry shouldn't be in any danger. After all, where else would a seven month old baby want to go other than a castle or home?

Snape strode into the Leaky Cauldron purposefully, though not quite managing to get an intimidating air while holding a black-haired giggling baby and having vomit on his robes.

In fact, the occupants of the dark bar all stared at the man, their sentences trailing off in amazement. Snape was seen here rather often and always seemed intimidating with his scowl firmly in place and black robes billowing behind him. Somehow, the robes didn't do as much when they had baby vomit all over them.

"Tom," he called out in a sharp tone, making Harry look slightly started.

"You called Mr Snape?" Tom the bartender said, barely suppressing a laugh at the picture as he came out from behind the bar.

"Where. Do. The. Potters. Live?" Snape said through clenched teeth, completely fed up with his day.

"Afraid I don't know anything except that they live in ol' Godrics Hollow," Tom said. "Don't really talk much about where they live, afraid of spies and all."

Snape nearly groaned at this news. Godrics Hollow was incredibly far away not to mention rather large, it would take him forever to find where the Potters lived.

"You baby-sitting their kid?" Tom asked.

"NO!" Snape hissed angrily.

Harry wondered why Snape was so angry, he seemed to be staring at the old man. Maybe Snape wanted something the old man had? Harry wiggled around in Snapes arms and saw a piece of pink material that the old man seemed to be using to clean glasses. The colour was pretty, maybe Snape was mad that the man was using such a pretty colour for cleaning? Harry could fix that! He closed his eyes and concentrated on getting Snape the pretty colour. He heard a pop and opened his eyes, satisfied.

The entire bar went quiet once more and then, as one, they all burst into laughter. Snape was about to snap and ask them what on earth they were laughing about when he caught site of his robes. His bright pink robes.

Flushing in mortification, he wheeled around and stalked right out of the bar amid the gales of laughter. That was it. He was going to take the damn child to Dumbledore and _he _could find the damn parents. Even if it meant he wouldn't see Lily. But no, he refused to spend a second longer with the so-called child. Besides, seeing Lily wouldn't be the same when she was in _Potter's _arms.

With a determined air, he apparrated.

And appeared several metres away from the gates of Hogwarts.

Harry, having been apparrated several times by his parents, was unfazed by the trip but seemed to realize that Snape still wasn't happy. Maybe he wanted another colour? But what other colour was pretty? He looked down, grass was pretty.

That gave him an idea, once more he closed his eyes and concentrated, only opening them again when he heard a soft 'pop'.

"So what, shall we go back to Godrics Hollow?" Lily asked, desperate to see her son again and inwardly cursing Dumbledore for making her wait so long.

But before Dumbledore could open his mouth, the door blew open with enough force to smash into the wall and a voice they all knew well shouted, "Dumbledore, get this damned child away from me! I have had enough, you can find the bloody parent!"

Lily wheeled around, as did the three marauders. Dumbledore was, of course, already facing the doorway. What they saw made them both stare in disbelief and struggle to hold in their laughter.

Standing in the doorway, holding Harry James Potter at arms length, was on Severus Snape with vomit on his bright pink robes and bright green hair that seemed to be made of… grass?!?

"This is where you were?" Snape said incredulously. "I went all over the place with this demon child and all this time _you were at Hogwarts???!??!?"_

"Uh, yeah," James said, blinking in surprise at the man. Lily had already thrown herself at Harry and was hugging him with all she was worth.

"Oh, thank you so much, Severus," Lily gushed over the laughter of the three men, as they had finally given up on trying to hold their laughter in.

Snape just grunted and glared and swiveled around to leave the office with whatever dignity he had left, ignoring the twinge in his heart at seeing Lily again.

"Bye, bye," Harry said childishly. "Bye bastard! Bye bastard!"

So, what did you think of the little interlude? Please review it!

---------------------------

_Next part will be up soon... for the recond my apologies and grateful thanks for those people who were with me way back when this first started and are still waiting for the 'new' chapters. I really do appreciate it... hopefully wont have to wait long! _


	15. The Triwizard Tournament Pt 2

_Apologies for the delay as per usual, and thank you to all those that reviewed, and to all those still waiting patiently for the 'new' chapters._

**-----------------------------------**

Lily and the three marauders were back in their quarters, the three men still laughing hysterically.

"I swear, that's an absolute classic!" James cackled.

"Tell me about it," Sirius agreed, gasping for breath. "Did you see that flower?"

"Alright, enough of that," Lily said, "Harry's sleeping, so at the very least laugh quietly."

Lily put Harry back in his cot and covered him with his blanket, trying futilely to get him away from his Hungarian Horntail stuffed dragon.

She turned back to the marauders with a smile, them having finally calmed down and said, "Shall we continue then?"

Sirius nodded and picked up the book to continue reading.

**Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now sorting Emma Dobbs.**

"Aw, they've made Harry uncomfortable," Lily said with a laugh.

**The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving,**

"Have you guys ever seem anyone come to their sorting and not be scared?" Remus asked curiously.

"Sure, the pure-blooded morons and Death Eater hopefuls," Sirius said, shrugging.

**one by one, to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the "L"s.**

**"Oh, hurry up," Ron moaned, massaging his stomach.**

"The Sorting always seems to take forever," Sirius said, sympathizing with Ron completely.

**"Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food," said Nearly Headless Nick,**

"Easy for him to say," James snorted.

"Yeah, he doesn't get hungry!" Sirius agreed.

**as "Madley, Laura!" became a Hufflepuff.**

**"'Course it is, if you're dead," snapped Ron. **

"Well, no, plenty of other people think that the Sorting is important," Lily said, smiling.

"But the food!" Sirius whined.

"You already eat too much, Sirius," Lily responded. "Remus, on the other hand, should eat far more!"

Remus eyed her warily, he wouldn't put it past the redhead to strap him down and force-feed him is she thought he wasn't getting enough nourishment.

Sirius, oblivious to Remus' worry, continued to read.

**"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch," said Nearly Headless Nick,**

"Of course they will be, they got into Gryffindor, didn't they?" James said happily.

"Just because they got into Gryffindor doesn't mean that they're perfect," Remus pointed out amusedly.

**applauding as "McDonald, Natalie!" joined the Gryffindor table.**

**"We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?"**

"Winning Streak?" James said, perking up. "I like the sound of that!"

**Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row.**

"Alright, go Gryffindor!" Sirius cheered.

"I can't help but notice that they have won since Harry _joined _the school," Lily pointed out, pleased. "Which means that Harry can't have broken some serious rules."

"Either that or he or someone else made them up," James said to Sirius under his breath.

**"Pritchard, Graham!" **

**"**_**Slytherin!**_**" **

**"Quirke, Orla!" **

**"**_**Ravenclaw!**_

**And finally, with "Whitby, Kevin! ("**_**Hufflepuff!**_**") the Sorting ended. **

"About time," Sirius stated, rolling his eyes.

"You're not even there, why are you complaining," Lily asked them.

"Because I sympathize with them," Sirius responded simply.

**Professor McGonagall picked up the Hat and stool, and carried them away.**

**"About time," said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate. **

Lily suppressed her laughter, the image in her head was rather humorous.

**Professor Dumbledore had got to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. **

"Dumbledore never changes, does he," James said, with a fond smile as he remembered his own school days. Things had always seemed so much simpler back then though he wouldn't trade Lily and his precious Harry for anything.

"What would Hogwarts be without him," Sirius sighed.

**"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall.**

"Those words had better include the word 'eat'," Sirius said, mock-threatening. James laughed along with him.

**"**_**Tuck in**_**."**

"Good enough!" Sirius laughed. Lily rolled her eyes as she too chuckled.

**"Hear, hear!" said Harry and Ron loudly, as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. **

Lily smiled and said, "Make sure you eat a lot, Harry!"

"Somehow I don't think he needs you to tell him!" Remus said, laughing.

"No, probably not," Lily agreed, lips twitching and amusement in her voice.

**Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron and Hermione loaded their plates.**

"Is he upset about it or something?" Lily asked slightly disbelieving.

"Yes," James snorted, "You'd think that after, like, five hundred plus years, he'd be used to it by now!"

**"Aaah, 'at's be'er," said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato.**

"He really should swallow before talking," Lily said, her tone amused rather than reprimanding.

"He's just been starved, why should he wait before talking?" Sirius asked melodramatically.

Remus laughed and said, "Sirius, only you could call that 'starved'"  
**  
"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know," said Nearly Headless Nick. **

"Why would they be lucky, there's a feast every year," James said.

The other three all shrugged.

**"There was trouble in the kitchens earlier." **

"Trouble?" Sirius said skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "Since when would house elves cause trouble?"

"Maybe there wasn't enough food or something," Lily said, doubtful of her own guess.

"Yeah, like the House Elves would ever let that happen," James scoffed.

**"Why? What' 'appened?" said Harry, through a sizeable chunk of steak.**

"Really, Harry, don't talk while your chewing," Lily said disapprovingly.

"Oh, let him alone Lils," James said, masking the sadness he felt that Harry would never defend himself about his eating habits to Lily's face and Lily would never be able to tell him off at that age…

James broke his melancholy thoughts when he heard Sirius' deep voice continue reading.

**"Peeves, of course," said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, **

"I wonder if this has anything to do with why Peeves was so angry before," Lily said curiously.

**which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up his neck. "The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast – **

Lily winced slightly and said, "I really don't think that's a good idea."

"No," James agreed, "Can you just imagine the chaos that would occur."

"That's a bad thing," Sirius asked, with eyebrows raised.

James refused to answer, knowing it would only add to more teasing if he said it was because he wanted to keep Harry safe.

**well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. **

"In other words, put him in the Great Hall during a feast and prepare for disaster," Lily narrated.

"I personally think that disaster would be the biggest understatement in the world," Remus said conversationally, as though they were not talking about the destruction of the Great Hall but rather about the weather.

**We held a ghosts' council - the Fat Friar was all for giving him a chance – **

"Is it just me, or does the Fat Friar seem rather to… willing to give second chances," Lily said, searching for the right words.

"He does," Sirius agreed instantly. "Wonder if he's a descendant of Dumbledore's?"

"Just because they both give people second chances doesn't mean that they're related," Remus reasoned.

"And besides, the Fat Friar give over a hundred chances, Dumbledore literally only gives seconds," Lily pointed out.

"No way," James interjected. "If you gave him a reason, I bet you Dumbledore would give you heaps of chances."

"Well, maybe," Lily conceded, though slightly doubtfully.

"But I believe we should be reading the book and not arguing over whether the Fat Friar is related to Dumbledore," Remus pointed out reasonably.

**But, most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down." **

"Yes, most wisely," Lily agreed with a grin.

**The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent spectre covered in silver bloodstains.**

"How do you think he got covered in blood?" Lily wondered idly.

"Don't know, he went nuts when we asked," James said indifferently.

"Nuts is an understatement," Sirius said with a wince.

"You actually asked," Lily said with a raised eyebrow. The three men nodded.

**He was the only person at Hogwarts who could control Peeves.**

"Maybe they knew each other in the past," Remus hypothesized.

"I always thought that Peeves knew how he got covered in blood and he's scared of him," Lily said.

"Why didn't we think of that," James grumbled, smacking his head with the palm of his hand.

**"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something," said Ron darkly. **

"Yes, so that's why he decided to go on a rampage with water balloons," said James.

"That's hardly an excuse," Lily said.

**"So what did he do in the kitchens?"**

"What else would Peeves do other than destroy?" James asked, snorting.

**"Oh, the usual," said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. "Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. **

"House Elves must have gone nuts," Sirius said.

**Terrified the house-elves out of their wits -"**

"Or that," Sirius conceded with a raised eyebrow, "But have you guys ever seen house elf scared?"

"No," Remus answered. "But does it really matter?"

_**Clang.**_** Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention.**

"Doesn't seem like her," James noted.

"You've only read about her, and that was only for the what's happened the last few weeks," Lily pointed out.

"Still doesn't seem like her," James responded.

**"There are house-elves **_**here**_**?" she said, staring, horror-struck at Nearly Headless Nick. "Here at **_**Hogwarts**_**?" **

"Well, it's rather obvious," said Lily, eyebrow arched.

"I know, who does she think cooks all that food?" Remus agreed.

"And does the beds, cleans the common rooms," Sirius counted off on his fingers. "Hogwarts may be a magical castle but it's not _that_ magical."

**"Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. **

"Yeah, but you gotta wonder what she's going to do with that information," said James, slightly worried.

**"The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."**

"I didn't know there were that many," Lily said, sounding surprised.

"Neither did we, but it's not really unexpected," James said, shrugging.

**"I've never seen one!" said Hermione.**

"Well, you wouldn't, not unless you knew where the kitchens were," Sirius reasoned.

"And it sounds like Harry doesn't know where they are," James said, sounding rather disappointed.

"Which is a good thing, I'm glad knowing that my son doesn't break the rules every other day," Lily said.

**"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" said Nearly Headless Nick.**

"Well, no, not unless a teacher calls them," Remus said.

**"They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning ... see to the fires and so on... I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"**

"Well, that's going a little to far," Lily huffed.

"I suppose," James admitted, frowning a little.

**Hermione stared at him. "But they get **_**paid**_**?" she said. "They get **_**holidays**_**, don't they? And - and sick leave, and pensions and everything?" **

"Yeah, like they'd want that," James said, laughing. "Like I said before, mum had to practically force Dinky to take a holiday."

**Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck.**

**"Sick leaves and pensions?" he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"**

"Well, I suppose no ones ever asked them," Lily said fairly. "I mean, there are a few families, like James', that give their house elves holidays but nobody actually asks them about sick leaves and pension."

"Sick leaves, I'll agree to your point," Remus said, slowly, "But I don't see any house elves agreeing to have pension. Getting paid, perhaps, but not pension."

**Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her.**

"What, she's going to refuse to eat?" Lily asked in surprise.

"Apparently so," James answered.

**"Oh, c'mon 'Er-my-knee," said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding.**

Lily shook her head, knowing there was no point in being disapproving. Men would be men after all.

**"Oops - sorry, 'Arry -" He swallowed. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!"**

"That's an understatement," Sirius snorted. "In fact, she would just make them guilty and then they would punish themselves!"

"In other words, the exact opposite of what she wants to do," James finished, shaking his head.

**"Slave labour," said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. "That's what made this dinner. **_**Slave labour**_**." **

**And she refused to eat another bite.**

"She's very… dedicated," James said, searching for the right word.

**The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark windows. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly with puddings. **

**"Treacle tart, Hermione!" said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell towards her. "Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!"**

Lily's lips twitched as she said laughingly, "From what we've seen of Hermione, I really don't think that that's going to work."

**But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up.**

The three men all shuddered and Sirius said in slight awe, "Somebody actually managed to duplicate that _look_? I thought it was impossible!"

**When the puddings, too, had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. **

"It's amazing the power Dumbledore has over the school," said Lily.

"Yeah, even the Slytherins that hate him still respect him and listen to him," Remus agreed.

"Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if, on some level, even Voldemort respected Dumbledore," Lily said thoughtfully.

**"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered" ("Hmph!" said Hermione), **

All of their lips quirked at that.

**"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.**

**"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. **

James groaned with longing and said, "Why don't they have something like that in this time?"

Sirius was gazing at the book longingly.

Lily rolled her eyes and said, "If you ask me, you guys get into enough trouble without extra equipment from the future!"

**The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, **

"Four hundred and thirty-seven?" Lily said incredulously. "Surely there aren't that many now?"

"No way," Sirius said, sounding slightly awed, "There's only about one hundred and fifty."

"How much you want to bet those twins had something to do with that list," James said, chuckling.

"I just hope Harry didn't," Lily said wryly.

**I believe, and can be viewed in Mr Filch's office, in anybody would like to check it."**

**The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. **

**"It is also my painful duty**

Sirius' voice began to trail off in disbelief and also in slight fear of his best friends reaction to this news.

**to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."**

"WHAT????!?!" James blew up.

"Hush James, you'll wake Harry," Lily hissed, for the boy had just tossed with a small groan.

"Sorry, but… but… cancel Quidditch?" he spluttered. "Why would he do something like that? It's – it's blasphemy!"

"Look, why don't we just keep reading and maybe it's because the Triwizard Tournament will affect it," Remus interrupted smoothly.

"But still," James whined but hushed when Sirius continued to read, glad that his best friend had been calmed down so quickly.

**"**_**What**_**?" Harry gasped. He looked round at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. **

"Go the twins," Sirius cheered. James was still in shock and did not say anything.

**They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. **

"I get what they mean," James muttered under his breath angrily.

**Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy**

"See, I told you it would have something to do with the Triwizard Tournament," Lily said optimistically.

James glared at her, though it wasn't as harsh as it may have been before.

**- but I am sure you will enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -" **

**But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. **

"What on earth happened," Lily asked, looking taken aback.

James looked up and looked slightly worried.

**A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling cloak. **

"Who do you think he is?" Remus asked curiously.

"I have no idea," James answered.

**Every head in the Great Hall swiveled towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, then began to walk up towards the teachers' table.**

"Must be that new teacher that the trio were talking about," Lily said, recalling the earlier passage.

"Seems a little scary to be teaching at a kids school," Sirius said, sounding doubtful.

**A dull **_**clunk**_** echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. **

"Poor man," Lily said, sympathetically.

**Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped.**

"Why, what's so scary about him?" James asked, his curiosity piqued.

**The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces were supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel.**

"That doesn't bode well," Sirius said, wincing.

"No, it doesn't," Lily agreed.

**Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of his nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. **

"You mean that it isn't the face?" James asked disbelievingly.

"Not according to this," Sirius said, looking down at the book on his lap.

**One of them was small, dark and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving carelessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.**

"I agree, that's rather scary," Lily said, taken aback.

"Do we know anybody of that description?" James asked his two fellow marauders.

"Er, no," Sirius said. "And I'm quite sure we would remember him."

"He may just not be around in this time," Remus reasoned.

"I agree with Sirius, he would be rather hard to forget," Lily said, now slightly dazed at the description.

**The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some enquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded, and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side. **

"Well, Dumbledore seems to know him," James said.

"Yeah, well, remember that birds of a feather thing in the last chapter?" Remus said dryly.

**The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark grey hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages towards him, raised it to what was left of his nose and sniffed it. **

"I really wish they would stop reminding us of what he looks like," Lily said, snapping out of her daze.

**He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.**

"Sounds paranoid," James noted.

"Sounds like Moody," Sirius said.

Lily looked up sharply and realization dawned… _Mad-eye _Moody…

**"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Dumbledore brightly, into the silence. **

"I thought he was the new Defence teacher," Remus murmured.

**"Professor Moody." **

Sirius read the name in disbelief and both his and James' draw dropped.

"Alastor Moody?!?" James yelped. "How the hell did he get so scarred??"

"He's an Auror," Lily pointed out. "I suppose he got injured by Death Eaters after Voldemort's downfall or something like that."

"Yeah, but like that?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I'm never going to be able to look at Moody the same ever again."

"Neither am I," James said, he was now the one looking dazed.

**It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students clapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid.**

"I can imagine why," James said.

"Yeah, I think they're a little shocked," Lily agreed.

"But seriously, what do you think Moody will teach them?" Remus asked, slightly nervously.

"Nothing to bad, I hope," Lily said.

**Both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.**

"Normally I'd say that's a little rude, but I think in this case I agree with them," Lily said.

**"Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. "**_**Mad-Eye Moody?**_** The one your dad went to help this morning?" **

"That must be the new job Amos mentioned," Remus said, recalling that particular sentence from the last chapter.

**"Must be," said Ron, in a low, awed voice.**

**"What happened to him," Hermione whispered. "What happened to his **_**face**_**?" **

"Personally, I wouldn't mind knowing that myself," Sirius said conversationally.

"So would I," Lily agreed slightly distantly.

**"Dunno," Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.**

**Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome.**

**Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his travelling cloak, pulled out a hip-flask, and took a long draught from it. **

"Well, that's definitely Moody," Sirius said, snorting. "Never changes, does he?"

"Apparently not," James said, now sounding amused.

"Though by the looks of it, it seems he has good reason," Remus pointed out.

"I suppose that's a fair point," Sirius admitted.

**As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.**

Lily shook her head slowly and said, "I really feel sorry for him."

The three men nodded silently.

**Dumbledore cleared his throat again. **

**"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. **

"Oh, yeah, it definitely is," Sirius whooped.

"It might not be," Remus pointed out, though they all knew that all the clues pointed to 'yes', not least the chapter title.

**It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."**

Sirius punched the air and then he and James both high-fived.

"That really would be interesting," Lily said, though she sounded slightly doubtful. "I just hope its not to dangerous."

"It won't be, remember Molly mentioned them changing the rules," Remus pointed out.

**"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly. **

"I'm assuming he's excited," James laughed.

"That's exactly what we'd do," Sirius laughed.

**The tension that had filled the Hall since Moody's arrival suddenly broke... Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. **

"And that is why you never underestimate a prankster," Lily narrated, "They're actually rather important it's just that they don't seem that way."

"Glad to know we're appreciated," James teased.

**"I am **_**not**_** joking, Mr Weasley," he said, "though, now you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaun who all go into a bar -"**

"Typical Dumbledore, telling jokes at the feast," Lily said.

"Hogwarts couldn't hope for a better headmaster," James said.

**Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.**

"Aw," James whined, "I wanted to hear it!"

"Yeah, and then we could be the ones to invent it," Sirius laughed.

**"Er - but maybe this is not the time ... no ..." said Dumbledore. "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament ... well, some of you will not know what this Tournament involves, so I hope those of you who **_**do**_** know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. **

James chuckled and said, "Dumbledore, the only Headmaster that gives you permission to not pay attention."

"Well, I still would," Lily said, "I mean, I've read about the tournament but I don't know exactly what it involves."

"I remember my grandfather telling me," James said, trying to recall the memory.

**"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago, as a friendly competition between the tree largest European schools of wizardry - Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. **

"You'd think it would be seven not three, as seven is the most magical number," Lily murmured.

"Yeah, but that would be way to much work," James countered. "For both the champions and the organizers."

"That's true."

**The schools took it in turns to host the Tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be the most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – **

"It is a good idea," Lily agreed.

**until, that it, the death toll mounted so high that the Tournament was discontinued."**

"Yeah, see, that doesn't inspire much confidence," Lily said.

"No, especially it they picked a first year," Remus agreed.

"Nobody would be crazy enough to do that," Sirius countered.

**"**_**Death toll**_**?" Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly with each other,**

"Well, Hermione seems to have her head screwed on right," Lily said.

"Definitely the Moony of the group," James murmured to Sirius.

**and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing more about the Tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago. **

Lily tutted disapprovingly.

**"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the Tournament," Dumbledore continued, **

"Wish it had happened when we were at school," Sirius said longingly.

**"none of which have been very successful. However, our own Department of International Magical Co-operation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that, this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.**

"Oh, thank goodness," Lily said in relief.

**"The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Hallowe'en. **

Sirius got a strange shiver when Halloween was mentioned. He frowned in puzzlement but shook it off, not knowing why on earth he had suddenly developed such a strong aversion the holiday."

**An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money." **

"That's one hell of a prize," Sirius said, sounding impressed.

"I'm curious to know who the impartial judge is," Lily said curiously.

"Could be Crouch," James offered. "If anyone would be impartial, it would be him."

**"I'm going for it!" Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches.**

"They really should look at what they would actually have to do," Remus said.

**He was not the only person who seemed to be visualising themselves as Hogwarts champion. **

"Of course he isn't," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

**At every house table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbours. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more. **

**"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, **

"I think that eager is a rather large understatement," Remus said.

"And I don't think it's the cup that has them enraptures," James agreed with a laugh.

**"the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year.**

"That's a good idea," Lily said approvingly.

James looked reluctant to admit it, but his eyes said that he was actually pleased about it as well – there was a less chance that Harry could get hurt in it.

**Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This-" **

"That's a little harsh," Sirius commented.

"Doesn't seem so to me," Lily said.

"I think it would've been better if he did it by years – like only sixth and seventh years are allowed to put their names forth," Remus disagreed.

"I think Remus is right," James said.

"Well, it doesn't matter who is right since this is the future. Anyway, all I really care about is that Harry doesn't have to go through that," Lily said.

**Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious – **

"I bet they are," James murmured.

He and Sirius exchanged a glance and the dog animagus said, "That's what we would have been like."

"They must be mad if they're interrupting Dumbledore," Lily said.  
**  
"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the Tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. **

"See, it's a good idea," Lily said.

"I didn't say it wasn't," Sirius defended, "I just said it was a little close-minded."

**I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light-blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred and George's mutinous faces.**

"It will be rather interesting to see what they try," Lily admitted.

"And you can bet they will," Remus added dryly.  
**  
"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.**"

"Nobody's going to listen to him," James said.

"Yeah, he's just wasting his time," Sirius agreed.

"You never know, some people might actually be obedient and follow the rules," Lily pointed out pointedly.

**"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October, and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. **

"That would be interesting," Lily said.

"I know, just think of all the things you could learn," Remus agreed.

James and Sirius rolled their eyes and James exclaimed, "What about what sort of pranks they have in other countries or something actually _interesting." _

"Hey! Their culture and everything is interesting," Remus defended.

**I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. **

"Or they'll just be bitter," Lily predicted.

"Yeah, but only for the first day or two," Remus said, "Then they'll just forget about it and cheer on the Chosen One."

**And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning.**"

James and Sirius both snorted with laughter and even Lily and Remus couldn't help but laugh a bit. Sleeping would be the last thing on their minds.

**Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet, and swarmed towards the double doors into the Entrance Hall.**

**"They can't do that!" said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving towards the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"**

"See, Lily, that's what I mean by the age restriction being a little constricting," Sirius pointed out.

"I see what you mean," Lily admitted.

**"They're not stopping me entering," said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. **

"Dumbledore will," James said confidently.

"Yeah, but how will he do it," Sirius said wryly, "Knowing Dumbledore, it'll be flashy."

**"The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!"**

**"Yeah," said Ron, a faraway look on his face. "Yeah, a thousand Galleons ..."**

"Money isn't everything," Lily said, "Besides, can you think of the danger?"

"You can't blame them for thinking like that," Remus reasoned, "I mean, they're only kids."

"And that'll be another reason for the restriction," James said, "The older students are less likely to enter just for the money."

**"Come on," said Hermione, "we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move." **

**Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George set off for the Entrance Hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen entering the Tournament.**

"I doubt they'll find out," Lily said, "Dumbledore will make it unpredictable."

**"Who's the impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" said Harry.**

"That's a fair question," Lily said, intrigued, "It doesn't mention it in any book about the tournament."

"My granddad mentioned something about fire," James said, though he sounded uncertain.

**"Dunno," said Fred, "but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Ageing Potion might do it, George ..."**

"There's no way that would work," Lily scoffed.

"I have to agree," Sirius said.

**"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," said Ron. **

**"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?" said Fred shrewdly. **

"No, but Dumbledore just said that he was going to make sure no one under seventeen would enter," James said.

**"Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. **

"That's actually probably true," Lily said thoughtfully. "But I still don't think it would work."

**Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names." **

**"People have died, though!" said Hermione in a worried voice, **

"Thank you Hermione," Lily said.

"Definitely the voice of reason," James said.

**as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase. **

**"Yeah," said Fred airily, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? **

"He should pay more attention to that 'risk'," Lily said.

"It won't matter either way," James pointed out.

**Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?" **

"Harry James Potter, you had better say no," Lily ordered in a no-nonsense voice.

"I agree with Lily," James said. Sirius looked torn though he was definitely leaning towards 'no'.

**"What d'you reckon?" Ron asked Harry. "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older ... dunno if we've learnt enough ..."**

"I don't think they would have," Sirius reasoned. "They're only what, beginning their fourth year?"

**"I definitely haven't," came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. "I expect my gran'd want me to try, though, she's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honour. **

"You know, that doesn't really bode well for what happened to Frank," James said, looking uneasy.

"No, and I don't know if I want to know," Sirius said.

**I'll just have to - oops ..." **

**Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase. There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; **

"He hasn't learned which ones you jump over yet?" James asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He was just distracted," Remus said, defending the son of one of their close friends.

**it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor. **

"Or perhaps not," Remus admitted.

"Wish I knew what happened," Lily murmured.

**Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armour at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing weezily.**

"It sounds as though they're used to it," James said, lips twitching slightly.

"Reminds you a bit of Peter, doesn't it?" Sirius added.

**"Shut it, you," said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed.**

"Go Ron!" James exclaimed, "Seriously, those suits are just plain annoying."

"Couldn't agree with you more, mate," Sirius said.

**They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. **

**"Password?" she said, as they approached.**

**"Balderdash," said George, "a Prefect downstairs told me."**

**The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall, through which they all climbed. A crackling fire was warming the circular common room, which was full squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, **

"Not this again," Sirius said grouchily.

**and Harry distinctly heard her mutter "**_**slave labour**_**", **

"You'd think that the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament would be enough to shock her out of it," James complained.

"Apparently not," Sirius muttered.

**before bidding them goodnight, and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitories.**

**Harry, Ron and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the Tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard, and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table. His old poster of West Ham football team was pinned right next to it. **

"Huh?" James said, looking bewildered. Sirius was in the same state.

"It's a hugely popular muggle sport," Lily explained.

**"Mental," Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary soccer players.**

"I agree with what Ron said," James said.

"So do I," Sirius said, "Who would want pictures that stay still all the time?"

**Harry, Ron and Neville got into their pyjamas and into bed. Someone - a house-elf, no doubt - had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside.**

"I love it when it rains outside at night," Lily sighed, "It's just so peaceful."

James and Sirius exchanged a look that obviously meant, _Women._

**"I might go in for it, you know,"," Ron said sleepily through the darkness, "if Fred and George find out how to ... the Tournament ... you never know, do you?"**

"I really don't think that's a good idea," Lily said, sounding anxious.

"Don't worry, Dumbledore won't be fooled," James assured her.

**"S'pose not ..." Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye... He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen ... He had become Hogwarts champion ... **

"It's just a fantasy," James exclaimed, for Lily had risen up with narrowed eyes. "He's just dreaming."

"He had better be," Lily muttered.

**He was standing in the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming ... he had just won the Triwizard Tournament... Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration... **

"See," James said, obviously trying his best not to break out into laughter.

"Yes," Lily said, her lips twitching uncontrollably.

Sirius and Remus had both long since lost control of their laughter and it didn't take James long to follow. Only Lily managed to keep from laughing at her son, though a few giggles did escape.

**Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.**

The three men continued laughing before Lily offered to read the next chapter, hoping for Harry's sake that it didn't have a lot of Cho in it. The marauders could really be merciless.

----------------------------------

_Let me know what you thought :)_


	16. MadEye Moody

_Apologies about the delay, been a highly hectic month._

-----------------------------

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN **

**MAD-EYE MOODY**

"Well, this seems like it's going to be interesting," James said wryly.

"With Moody," Sirius said, "You can bet it will be. Especially since I'll bet he's way more paranoid in the future."

"Yes, especially after everything that happened to him," Lily agreed, still in slight shock over 'Mad-eye' Moody's appearance.

**The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, **

"Good," said Sirius, sounding quite pleased, "There's nothing worse on the first day of school than to have it rainy as well."

"I thought you said that there was nothing worse than having to go _to _school on a rainy day," Lily said to him.

"Well," Sirius began, but paused when he couldn't think of an answer to this. "Well, their both the worst thing!"

**though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy; heavy clouds of pewter grey swirled overhead as Harry, Ron and Hermione examined their new timetables at breakfast. A few seats along, Fred, George and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of ageing themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.**

"You mean they're actually going to do it?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes. "You would think that the words 'death toll' would discourage them slightly."

"They're kids Lily," James said, for once being the voice of reason. "They don't know what it's like. Besides, they're not going to get past Dumbledore's age line."

"Still," huffed Lily.

**"Today's not bad ... outside all morning," said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his timetable, "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures ... damn it, we're still with the Slytherins ..."**

Sirius rolled his eyes and said, "_When _will Dumbledore learn that no matter how many times he puts them together he won't be able to get them to co-operate."

"Well, if he stopped, he wouldn't be the same old Dumbledore," Lily said with a grin. She seemed to be the only one who didn't mind having to share with the Slytherins – even Remus hated it, though mainly because Snape knew his 'furry little problem'.

**"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned, looking down. **

"Divination?" Lily said, intrigued. "Is that even offered in this time?"

"I don't know," said Remus, "But I think Albus interviewed someone for the position sometime last year."

"Doesn't seem like Harry likes it, though," James said.

**Divination was his least favourite subject, apart from Potions.**

"Snape teaches Potions, doesn't he?" Sirius said with a slight growl. James nodded mutely, the mention of the former Slytherin reminding him of the fact that, in a way, he had failed as a father. _(1) _

"It might just be that Harry doesn't like the subject," Remus pointed out, though he sounded doubtful.

"I wonder why Harry doesn't like Divination, though," Lily said. "While it seems like complete codswallop, it would still be quite fascinating." Seeing that the marauders were otherwise preoccupied with the Potions comment she added, "You won't know about that until we see one of Harry's lessons."

"She's right, let's leave it until then," Remus agreed.

**Professor Trelawney kept predicting Harry's death, **

Lily's eyes flashed and she said slightly angrily, "What on earth is this teacher thinking?!? She's terrifying my baby!"

"What on earth is Albus thinking, having a teacher that predicts students deaths?" James asked, both incredulous and angry.

"I don't know, but no wonder Harry hates the subject if that what he gets," said Sirius.

"Oh, if I was there I would send that woman the howler of her life," Lily muttered angrily.

**which he found extremely annoying. **

Sirius snorted and said, "You know, this kid is way like you, James. Instead of being scared at the fact that his Divination teacher is telling him he's going to die, he's annoyed."

"I don't care if he's only annoyed, it would still make an impression," Lily said huffily.

**"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" said Hermione briskly, buttering herself some toast. **

"Has anybody else noticed that she seems to be eating again?" Remus asked with a slight smile.

"Yep," said Sirius, "Must've gotten hungry."

**"Then you'd be doing something sensible like Arithmancy." **

"Really doesn't like Divination, does she?" James said with a chuckle.

"Apparently not," Lily said, "Though if the teacher is as bad as Harry makes them out to be, then I don't blame her!"

**"You're eating again, I notice," said Ron, watching Hermione add liberal amounts of jam to her buttered toast.**

**"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," said Hermione haughtily.**

The three marauders laughed and Lily smiled, saying, "Are you sure you didn't just get hungry?"

"You're talking to a book, Lils," James pointed out, withering under the glare he got in return.

**"Yeah ... and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning. **

"Yep, Ron's got the right idea!" Sirius said cheerfully.

"You know, the atmosphere of this book is so much better than the first chapter foreshadowed it to be," Lily said, seeming quite happy about this fact.

"I agree, but don't jinx it!" James said with a laugh.

**There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows, carrying the morning mail. Instinctively, Harry looked up, but there was no sign of white among the mass of brown and grey. **

"That's right, Harry wrote to you, Sirius," Lily said, now frowning slightly.

"I wonder what's taking you so long to respond," Remus said quizzically.

Sirius just shrugged. He couldn't help his thoughts straying to 'what ifs' – what if he had gotten caught? He looked at the book, feeling as though he was completely different from the 'him' in the book. The one who had apparently survived twelve years of Azkaban. He honestly didn't think he could ever do that. He shook his head trying to clear it of the dark thoughts.

**The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed. A large tawny owl soared down to Neville Longbottom and deposited a parcel in his lap - Neville almost always forgot to pack something. **

"Sounds like Peter," James said fondly.

"Yes, but doesn't exactly seem like Frank or Alice," Sirius pointed out.

"Well, no," Lily admitted, "But children don't have to be carbon copies of their parents. From what I can tell, Harry seems quite different then both James and myself in personality. Then again, that might have something to do with my dratted sister," she added under her breath angrily.

**On the other side of the Hall Draco Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home.**

_Looks like Lily just might have jinxed it, _James thought, slightly upset. He would have loved to be able to send Harry sweets and prank supplies (a definite must!) from he and Lily. Letters telling him about how things were at home and just generally letting Harry feel loved.

**Trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment in his stomach, Harry returned to his porridge.**

_Sorry, kiddo, _Sirius thought silently, hating the feeling that he had disappointed his precious godson, the one person he swore he wouldn't.

James looked at his best friend concernedly. Having been best friends with him for many years, he knew Sirius well enough to be able to tell what was on his mind. He glanced outside the window to see it was beginning to get dark and made up his mind to talk to him tonight when everybody else was sleeping and couldn't eavesdrop. _Besides, _he thought to himself wryly, _we're both going to be sleeping on the couches anyway. _

**Was it possible that something had happened to Hedwig, and that Sirius hadn't even got his letter?**

"Maybe," Lily said, though she sounded doubtful.

Remus, who also seemed to have noticed his friends worried persona, said, "Don't worry, it's probably just because you're far away or something."

"Yeah, probably," Sirius echoed.

**His preoccupation lasted all the way across the sodden vegetable patch until they arrived in greenhouse three, but here he was distracted by Professor Sprout showing the class the ugliest plants Harry had ever seen. **

"Mandrakes?" James guessed haphazardly.

"I highly doubt that, Mandrakes are a lot earlier on," Lily said with a smile.

"Well, I'm sure that if you let Lily keep reading, then you'll find out what the plant is," Remus pointed out, rolling his eyes.

**Indeed, they looked less like plants then thick giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each was squirming slightly, and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared full of liquid.**

"Bubotubers!" they all exclaimed, groaning. Sirius added, "Poor guys."

**"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout told them briskly. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus – **

James and Sirius both shivered and Remus and Lily laughed at them.

**"The **_**what**_**?" said Seamus Finnigan, sounding revolted. **

"That's how we reacted," Sirius said, lost in the memory.

"No it wasn't," Lily retorted, "You said, 'Cool! Can you imagine the look on Snivellus' face if we poured it on him?'"

"I did no such thing," Remus said in a dignified voice.

"Yeah right, you were the one that gave us the spells and told us how to do it without getting caught!" Sirius snorted. Remus scowled at him and Lily rolled her eyes.

**"Pus, Finnigan, pus," said Professor Sprout, "and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. **

"Something that you three obviously weren't listening too!" Lily said to the marauders coolly.

**You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves, it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, Bubotuber pus."**

"Another thing you obviously didn't listen to," Lily said.

**Squeezing the Bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying. As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowish green liquid burst forth, which smelled strongly of petrol. **

"Of what?" Sirius and James said simultaneously.

"Petrol," Lily answered, "A fuel that Muggles use for their cars to get around, terrible for the environment."

**They caught it in the bottles as Professor Sprout had indicated, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints. **

**"This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," said Professor Sprout, stoppering the last bottle with a cork. "an excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, Bubotuber pus. **

"You know, this may be why Snape never seemed to have any pimples for awhile afterwards," Lily said, sounding amused.

"Good," said James unexpectedly. While he was quite sure that Snape most likely had no idea of this fact, he could at least have the knowledge that he had done _something _good for Snape.

**Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."**

**"Like poor Eloise Midgen," said Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff, in a hushed voice. "She tried to curse hers off."**

All four of them winced and Remus said, "That really wasn't a good idea."

"No kidding," said Sirius dryly.

**"Silly girl," said Professor Sprout, shaking her head. "But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end." **

Lily conjured the same parchment that she had written the note about Harry touching Daddy's wand and, steadfastly ignoring the fact that according to the book she would not be around, scribbled down; warn Harry about use of potions ingredients when he is slightly older! She waved her wand once more and it disappeared. She picked up the book and continued reading to her amused audience.

**A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds signalling the end of the lesson, and the class separated; the Hufflepuffs climbing the stone steps for Transfiguration, and the Gryffindors heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn towards Hagrid's small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. **

"Hagrid's small wooden cabin?" James said, sounding both surprised and incredulous. "Does that mean that Hagrid's a teacher now?"

"Apparently it does," Sirius said, also looking surprised.

"Well, good for Hagrid!" Lily exclaimed. "I always thought he would make a good teacher! I wonder what subject he teaches?"

"There's only one subject I can see Hagrid teaching," Remus said.

"Care of Magical Creatures," they all said together.

"Professor Kettleburn must have retired," Lily said thoughtfully. "Well, I can't think of a better person to take over that class!"

"Yes," said Sirius slowly. "But you have to wonder just what sort of creatures Hagrid would teach about."

James winced, having had experience with Hagrid's taste in animals.

"Well, it can't be that bad," Remus said with false optimism.

"Besides, Hagrid would never put a student in danger," Lily said confidently.

**Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous boarhound, Fang.**

"Enormous?" James said, "But Fangs just a tiny puppy!"

"This is about thirteen years in the future, Prongs," Sirius said, snorting.

"Oh, right," James said and added irritably when Sirius sniggered, "Oh, shut it!"

**There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet, and Fang was whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely. **

"Is anybody else getting the feeling that he would be the only one?" James asked, slightly uneasily.

"Yes," his fellow two marauders answered immediately. Lily refrained from answering but also looked slightly uneasy.

**As they drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions.**

"You were saying before, Lily," James said.

"I stand by it," Lily said adamantly. "Hagrid wouldn't put a student in danger – you don't think Harry will have to go near it, do you?

"Look, we might just be being paranoid," Remus said reasonably, "Let's see how the lesson goes before we say if they're dangerous or not."

**"Mornin'!" Hagrid said, grinning at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this - Blast-Ended Skrewts!" **

"I think they just might," James said sarcastically at the same time as Sirius said, "What on earth are Blast-Ended Skrewts?"

"Let me read and we'll find out," Lily snapped at them.

**"Come again?" said Ron. **

"I agree with Ron's statement," Sirius said.

**Hagrid pointed down into the crates.**

**"Eurgh!" squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backwards.**

**"Eurgh" just about summed up the Blast-Ended Skrewts, in Harry's opinion. They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over each other, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes.** **They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish.**

"Don't seem to be the best looking creatures, do they?" Lily said.

"No, probably not," Sirius agreed weakly.

"Harry's a smart boy, he'll know not to go near them," James said, though from his posture they could tell that he wished he was there so he could pull Harry away from them.

**Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a Skrewt and, with a small **_**phut**_**, it would be propelled forwards several inches.**

"Have any of you ever heard of a creature like that?" Lily asked.

"Something that Lily hasn't heard of?" Sirius said in mock astonishment, "Call the Daily Prophet!"

"Oi, lay off my wife," James said, laughing. "I'm the only one that can say that to her! Ow, Lils, I was kidding!"

"In answer to your question, Lily, I've never heard of them," Remus said.

**"On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!" **

"Well, at least Hagrid seems very enthusiastic," Lily said with a smile.

"Yes, though we may need to have a talk to him about projects," James added.

**"And why would we **_**want**_** to raise them?" said a cold voice.**

"Slytherins are here," James and Sirius said in unison.

**The Slytherins had arrived. **

**The speaker was Draco Malfoy.**

"We could have expected that," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

**Crabbe and Goyle were chuckling appreciatively at his words.**

**Hagrid looked stumped at the question. **

"Just tell him to shut up and do what he's told," James said. "Someone should take him off his pedestal!"

**"I mean, what do they **_**do**_**?" asked Malfoy. "What is the **_**point**_** of them?" **

**Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard; there was a few seconds' pause, then he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. **

Lily shook her head with a smile while the three men laughed slightly.

**Now yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things - I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer - I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass-snake - jus' try 'em out with a bit of each."**

**"First pus and now this," muttered Seamus.**

"Not the best start to the year, is it," Sirius said, sympathizing completely.

**Nothing but deep affection for Hagrid could have made Harry, Ron and Hermione pick up squelched handfuls of frog liver and lower them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts. **

"Real friends," Remus said softly.

"Yeah," agreed James, proud that his son had such good characteristics and also such good friends.

**Harry couldn't suppress the suspicion that the whole thing was entirely pointless, because the Skrewts didn't seem to have mouths.**

"I don't even want to know how they eat," said Sirius.

**"**_**Ouch!**_**" yelled Dean Thomas, after about ten minutes. "It got me!" **

**Hagrid hurried over to him, looking anxious.**

**"It's end exploded!" said Dean angrily, showing Hagrid a burn on his hand.**

**"Ah, yeah, that can sometimes happen when they blast off," said Hagrid, nodding.**

"And he has a whole bunch of children near them?" Lily said with wide eyes.

"It's fine Lily," James said, though he sounded worried himself.

**"Eurgh!" said Lavender Brown again. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"**

"There's more," said Remus.

**"Ah, some of 'em have stings," said Hagrid enthusiastically (Lavender quickly withdrew her hand from the box). **

"Smart girl," Remus muttered.

"No kidding," said Lily.

**"I reckon they're the males ... the females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies ... I think they might be ter suck blood."**

"Harry, step away from the box," James said with forced calm, seeming to forget the fact that it was, in fact, a book.

**"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," said Malfoy sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting and bite all at once?" **

**"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione snapped. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?" **

"She has actually got a point," Lily said. "Though, really, I don't see how the Skrewts can be useful."

**Harry and Ron grinned at Hagrid, who gave them a furtive smile from behind his bushy beard. Hagrid would have liked nothing better than a pet dragon, as Harry, Ron and Hermione knew only too well – **

"What does that mean?" Sirius demanded.

"It's probably just that Hagrid always talks about it," Remus, sounding quite sure of himself. After all, where would Hagrid even get a dragon?

**he had owned one for a brief period during their first year, **

"A dragon in their first year?!?" Lily shrieked, only lowering her voice when she heard Harry whimper slightly.

**a vicious Norwegian Ridgeback by the name or Norbert. **

"A _vicious _dragon in their first year?!?" Lily hissed.

"Who names a dragon Norbert?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Hagrid," James said, trying valiantly to not imagine his young, eleven year old son in such proximity to a dragon. He got up determinedly and, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the other three in the room, strode over to the crib where his son was still sleeping soundly with his thumb in his mouth and contently sucking on it. He pulled the stuffed dragon out of his sons small hands then calmly threw it in the fire, smiling happily when it disintegrated after a minute or two.

"Go ahead and continue," he said pleasantly when he returned to the couch. His best friends laughed slightly while Lily looked both amused and approving.

**Hagrid simply loves monstrous creatures - the more lethal, the better.**

"I don't really mind, but he could at least not get my baby involved," Lily said crossly.

**"Well, al least the Skrewts are small," said Ron, as they made their way back up to the castle for lunch an hour later. **

"Thank goodness for small blessings," Remus said wryly.

**"They are **_**now**_**," said Hermione in an exasperated voice, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long." **

"Well then, don't feed them," James said, sounding slightly worried.

"Yeah right," Sirius said, shaking his head, "Hagrid will probably spend all of his free time trying to make them grow.

**"Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure sea sickness or something, will it?" said Ron, grinning slyly at her. **

"As nice as a cure for sea sickness would be, I think we'd all prefer it if the Skrewts stayed the same," Remus said.

"You don't need a cure for sea sickness," Sirius said. "Just take a potion to get rid of nausea."

**"You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up," said Hermione. **

"And I have to admit, it was very well done," James said.

**"As a matter of fact I think he's right. **

"And he'd never let you forget it if you said that," Sirius finished with a grin.

**The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all."**

"That's a good idea, why don't they do that?" Lily said, nodding her head.

"Hagrid would be devastated," Remus commented.

All four of them looked at each other for a moment and then said together, "Who cares!"

**They sat down at the Gryffindor table and helped themselves to lamb chops and potatoes. Hermione began to eat so fast that Harry and Ron stared at her.**

"Isn't it usually the guys that eat that fast?" Lily wondered out loud.

"Whatever happened to refusing to eat?" Remus said, sounding amused.

**"Er - is this your new stand of elf rights?" said Ron. "You're going to make yourself puke instead?"**

"Which would just make them feel incredibly guilty," James said dryly.

"They'd think it was their fault," Sirius added.

**"No," said Hermione, with as much dignity she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts.**

"Which would not be all that much," Sirius said, sounding as though he about to burst out laughing.

**"I just want to get to the library." **

"Why?" Remus asked, taken aback. "It's their first day!"

"Yeah, she may seem like a bookworm, but who goes to the library on the first day back?" Sirius added incredulously.

"Plenty of people," Lily said, slightly stiffly.

"Well, maybe, but no one's _that _eager," James said, gesturing towards the book.

"I suppose I'll concede to your point," Lily said.

**"**_**What?**_**" said Ron in disbelief. "Hermione - it's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!"**

**Hermione shrugged and continued to shovel down her food as though she had not eaten for days. **

"Well, she hadn't had any dinner the night before," James said, snickering.

**Then she leapt to her feet, said, "See you at dinner!" and departed at high speed.**

**When the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon lessons, Harry and Ron set off for North Tower where, at the top of a tightly spiralling staircase, a silver stepladder led to a circular trapdoor in the ceiling, and the room where Professor Trelawney lived.**

"What on earth is the point of having a classroom so far away?" Sirius asked.

"I suppose she feels more comfortable there or something," Lily said.

**The familiar sweet perfume emanating from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder. As ever, the curtains were all closed; the circular room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by the many lamps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls. **

"Over kill, much?" James said wryly.

"Oh, she's just trying to get an effect so that people are more likely to believe her predictions," Lily huffed, seeming to forget that she had, in fact, previously thought that Divination might have been an interesting subject.

**Harry and Ron walked through the mass of occupied chintz chairs and poufs that cluttered the room, and sat down at the same small circular table. **

"At least it's comfortable," Sirius said brightly.

**"Good day," said the misty voice of Professor Trelawney right behind Harry, making him jump.**

Sirius and James rolled their eyes while Lily said, "From everything we've heard, I don't think I'm going to enjoy this subject."

**A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face, Professor Trelawney was peering down at Harry with the tragic expression she always wore whenever she saw him. **

"That woman!" Lily exclaimed angrily, "She's using her position as his teacher to try and influence and scare him!"

**The usual large amounts of beads, chains and bangles glittered upon her person in the firelight. **

"Fake, much," James said to Sirius under his breath, making them both snigger.

**"You are preoccupied, my dear," she said mournfully to Harry."My Inner Eye sees past your brave face to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you, alas ... most difficult ... I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass ... and perhaps sooner than you think ..." **

"Stupid woman," Lily muttered angrily, "Trying to scare my Harry!"

"Don't worry Lily, it seems as though Harry is to smart to believe her," Remus said.

**Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, who looked stonily back. Professor Trelawney swept past them and seated herself in a large winged armchair before the fire, facing the class. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who deeply admired Professor Trelawney, were sitting on poufs very close to her. **

"Why would anyone want to admire her?" Sirius asked.

"Who knows, Padfoot, who knows," said James.

**"My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars," she said. "The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. **

"And it doesn't sound like it's you," James and Sirius said in unison, grinning.

"Besides, it's proven fact that no witch or wizard has ever been able to read the stars," Remus said. "The only living being who can are the centaurs, and they're not about to tell."

**Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle ..."**

"It's called free will, lady," James interjected. He refused to think that dieing young and leaving Harry all alone was his destiny. Lily was thinking the same.

**But Harry's thoughts had drifted. The perfume fire always made him feel sleepy and dull-witted, **

Lily snorted and said under her breath, "Trying to make people believe her."

**and Professor Trelawney's rambling talks on fortune-telling never held him exactly spellbound – **

"Smart boy," James praised.

"Hasn't inherited his fathers brains!" Sirius said with a grin.

"Oi!" James exclaimed indignantly, grabbing a pillow that was lying next to him and lobbing it at his best friend who caught it neatly and said innocently, "Thanks mate, I was getting sort of uncomfortable."

James huffed and crossed his arms, going into a slight sulk while Remus and Lily laughed at them.

**though he couldn't help thinking about what she had just said to him.**

"See!" said Lily, "He does believe her, on some level."

**But Hermione was right, Harry thought irritably, Professor Trelawney really was an old fraud. **

"Or maybe not," Remus said with a smile.

"This is the first and only time I'm going to condone calling a teacher such names," Lily declared.

**He wasn't dreading anything at the moment at all ... well, unless you counted his fears that Sirius had been caught ... **

Sirius paled slightly at that, but did not say a word.

**but what did Professor Trelawney know?**

"That's right Harry, look on the bright side," James said, still with his arms crossed.

**He had long since come to the conclusion that her brand of fortune-telling was really no more than luck guess-work and a spooky manner. **

"Good boy, Harry," Lily said, sounding pleased.

**Except, of course, for that time at the end of last term, when she had made the prediction about Voldemort rising again... **

"What?" Lily said, paling instantly.

"She's a fraud," James said with forced calm. "It's not true…" The 'I hope' lay unspoken in the air.

"He's right," Sirius said, trying to calm down his racing heart. Remus had his eyes closed and was slowly counting to ten.

**and Dumbledore himself had said that he thought that trance had been genuine, when Harry had described it to him...**

"You were saying?" Lily said with wide eyes.

"Look, we can't do anything and anyway, it probably won't happen," James said, trying to be reasonable. "Let's just keep reading, eh?"

**"**_**Harry!**_**" Ron muttered. **

"Must have spaced out," Remus said, trying to find some humour.

**"What?"**

**Harry looked around; the whole class was staring at him. **

"Ugh, I hate it when that happens," James muttered.

**He sat up straight; he had almost been dozing off, lost in the heat and his thoughts. **

"Seems like a better way to spend time in that classroom, if you ask me," Sirius said.

"I hate to admit it, but I agree," Lily said.

**"I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn," said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.**

"Get over it, lady," James said.

"Yeah, it's not like anyone listens to you!" Sirius said.

**"Born under - what, sorry?" said Harry. **

**"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!" said Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news. **

"Who would be?" Remus said, sounding slightly disbelieving.

**"I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth... your dark hair... **

"I don't suppose it occurs to you that Harry has dark hair because his father has dark hair?" Remus asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

**your mean stature... **

"And that one would be thanks to my _wonderful _sister," Lily said, fingering her wand when she remembered how her sister had treated her one and only precious boy.

**tragic losses so young in life...**

"And that's thanks to Voldemort," James said with steel in his tone.

**I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in mid-winter?"**

"No," Lily said triumphantly. "Harry was born in the middle of summer. I remember, because I nearly ended up giving birth to him down at the beach!"

"I remember that to," James said, "Scariest moment of my life, I'll say it now."

**"No," said Harry, "I was born in July." **

**Ron hastily turned his laugh into a hacking cough.**

The four adults didn't bother hiding their laughter, both at the look that must have been on Trelawney's face and also at the thought of James panicking while Lily went into labor at the beach.

**Half an hour later, each of them had been given a complicated circular chart, and was attempting to fill in the position of the planets at their moment of birth. **

"That would be impossible," James said matter-of-factly.

"Not impossible," Remus countered. "Just very difficult."

**It was dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calculation of angles. **

"They're really not having a good first day, are they?" Sirius said sympathetically.

"Let's hope tomorrows better," Lily said.

**"I've got two Neptunes here," said Harry after a while, frowning down at a piece of parchment, "that can't be right, can it?"**

"Uh, no, Harry, it's not," Lily said, barely concealing a smile.

**"Aaaaah," said Ron, imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical whisper, "when two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses in being born, Harry ..."**

They all laughed outright at that.  
**  
Seamus and Dean, who were working nearby, sniggered loudly, though not loudly enough to mask the excited squeals from Lavender Brown - "Oh, professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor?"**

"My gosh, how can someone be so into something like that," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "It sounds dead boring."

**"It is Uranus, my dear," said Professor Trelawney, peering down at the chart. **

"So much for not knowing it," James said with a snort.

**"Can I have a look at Uranus, too, Lavender?" said Ron.**

Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him, and it was this, perhaps, which made her give them so much homework at the end of class.

"Oh, so first she tortures them in class and then she's going to make sure that they don't have a good night," Sirius said, complaining.

**"A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart," she snapped, sounding more like Professor McGonagall than her usual airy-fairy self. "I want it ready to hand in next Monday, and no excuses!" **

"Ouch," said Remus, wincing.

"That's going to take them forever," Sirius said sympathetically.

**"Miserable old bat," said Ron bitterly, as they joined the crowds descending the staircases back to the Great Hall and dinner. "That'll take all weekend, that will ..." **

"And there goes there weekend as well," James said with a sigh.

**"Lots of homework?" said Hermione brightly, catching up with them. "Professor Vector didn't give **_**us**_** any at all!"**

"Show off," Sirius said bitterly, acting like it was he that had gotten the homework.

**"Well, bully for Professor Vector," said Ron moodily. **

"You two are scarily alike," Lily said, looking from the book to Sirius.

**They reached the Entrance Hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner. **

"Since when do people queue up at Hogwarts?" James asked curiously.

"Yeah, normally you just get what you want at the house tables," Sirius agreed.

**They had just joined the end of the line, when a loud voice rang out behind them.**

"Is anybody else getting the feeling that their days just about to get better?" James said, slightly sarcastically.

**"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"**

**Harry, Ron and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.**

"Oh, yeah, it's gonna get better," Sirius grumbled, also sarcastically.

**"What?" said Ron shortly. **

"You should have told him to go away," Remus said.

**"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the **_**Daily Prophet**_**, and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed Entrance Hall could hear. **

"Oh, that's not good if he's so happy about it," Lily said, sounding slightly worried.

**"Listen to this!" **

"Typical of a Malfoy, make a big scene," Sirius said darkly, dreading what had gotten the boy so excited.

_**FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC  
**_**  
**_**It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes **_**Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent.**

James and Sirius both groaned and James said in disgust, "Not her _again!" _

"Well, this isn't exactly boding well for Arthur," Lily said with a sigh.

_**Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley,**_

"It's _Arthur _Weasley, you stupid woman," Lily snapped.

_**of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office.**_ _**Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago,**_

"Cool!" exclaimed Sirius enviously. "I want one!"

"You would really want to drive a car?" Remus asked.

"Fair point," Sirius admitted then added thoughtfully, "Maybe a motorcycle…"

_**was yesterday involved with a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ('policemen') over a number of highly aggressive dustbins.**_

"That sounds weirder every time I hear it," said James, shaking his head.

_**Mr Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. **_

Sirius snorted and said, "Moody's never been able to see the difference between that unless it's Dumbledore!"

_**Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer**_** Daily Prophet **_**questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.**_

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because he was being nice and trying to help a friend and former colleague?" Remus said with sarcasm that he seldom used.

**"And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house! **

"The Burrow seems like a perfectly nice place!" Sirius exclaimed. "Heaps better than Grimmauld Place, at any rate."

**Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?" **

"How dare he!" huffed Lily.

**Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him. **

**"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. **

"You tell him, Harry," James cheered.

**"C'mon, Ron ..."**

**"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"**

"Well, Malfoy, you know your mother…" Sirius began but trailed off into silence.

After nearly a minute James said, "Uh, mate?"

Sirius looked up and said, "Sorry, couldn't find anything about Narcissa's looks to criticize." He looked distinctly unhappy about this fact.

**"You know **_**your**_** mother, Malfoy?" said Harry - both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him launching himself at Malfoy – **

"Dear, if Sirius can't find anything to insult her with, I don't think you will," Lily said with a sigh.  
**  
"That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"**

There was a stunned silence for a moment and then they all burst out laughing.

"Harry, that was absolutely brilliant!" Sirius choked out.

"That's my puppy marauder," James said fondly.

**Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter." **

"Oh, so he can dish it out, but he can't take it," Lily said scathingly.

Remus shook his head in disbelief and said, "Malfoy, if you insult other people then you really should have realized that they'll insult you back!"

"He's an idiot," Sirius said, shaking his head.

**"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away.**

"That's right Harry!" said Lily brightly, "Use my genetics and don't hex him but walk away dignified!" James pouted.

**BANG! **

**Several people screamed - Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face – **

"Did he just hex Harry while his back was turned?" Lily asked, her voice shaking with rage.

"Yes," said James flatly.

"Stupid coward," Sirius said angrily, "He's worse than Snape!" Remus growled in assent, his eyes gold.

It seemed to be a testament of how mad Lily and Remus were that they didn't notice the fact that Sirius had referred to Snape as 'Snape' and not 'Snivellus'.

**he plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, **

"That's right Harry, you show him what happens when you mess with a Potter," James growled.

**but before he'd even touched it, he heard a second loud BANG, and a roar which echoed through the Entrance Hall. **

**"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" **

"Who was that?" Remus asked, not expecting an answer and not getting one.

**Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.**

"He didn't," Sirius said in an awed voice, his jaw dropping.

"I think he did," James answered, a smile forming on his face.

"Remind me to be very nice to Alastor at the next Order meeting," Lily said before the fact that Malfoy had been turned into a ferret sunk in and they all burst out laughing.

It was in a slightly wheezing voice that Lily continued to read.

**There was a terrified silence in the Entrance Hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry - at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head. **

"That had gotta look freaky," James said, still chuckling.

"No kidding," Sirius said, actually shivering in between laughs.

**"Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.**

"He better not have!" James exclaimed in a growl.

**"No," said Harry, "missed."**

"Damn lucky for him," Sirius said, slightly viciously. Remus nodded in agreement.

**"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.**

"Leave what?" asked Lily.

**"Leave - what?" Harry said, bewildered.**

**"Not you - him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head. **

"As freaky as that would look, it's still pretty cool," Sirius said.

**Moody started to limp towards Crabbe, Goyle and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking towards the dungeons.**

The four of them were laughing helplessly once more.

**"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor , and then bounced upwards once more.**

"Malfoy… Bouncing Ferret…" Sirius choked out between laughs.

"That has to be the perfect revenge," Lily agreed.

**"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody, **

"That's true, he's very proper, is Alastor," Lily agreed, seeming to be the only one who could form a straight sentence without bursting into laughter.

**as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..." **

"It is," James agreed wholeheartedly, starting to calm down slightly.

**The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.**

**"Never - do - that - again -" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upwards again.**

**"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice. **

**Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.**

"Aww," they all said, knowing that she would stop it now that she was there.

**"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher. **

"Brave man," Sirius said, sounding impressed.

**"What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.**

"You're not going to like the answer, Professor," Sirius said cheekily.

**"Teaching," said Moody.**

"Nice way of putting it," Remus said with a snort.

**"Teach- Moody, **_**is that a student**_**?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.**

"Wow, wicked reaction," Sirius said with a sigh.

"Definite five out of five," James agreed.

"Only you two would rate Minerva's reaction to things," Lily said.

**"Yep," said Moody. **

Lily chuckled and said, "I love how he says that off-handedly."

**"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blonde hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. **

"Ha, serves you right," Sirius said triumphantly.

"Maybe that will make you think twice about taunting people and hexing them," Lily said, sounding very satisfied.

**He got to his feet, wincing.**

**"Moody, we **_**never**_** use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall weakly. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?" **

**"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, **

This caused them to start laughing again.

**"but I thought a good sharp shock -"**

**"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!" **

**"I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.**

**Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words "my father" were distinguishable.**

"Oh my gosh, what a baby," Sirius said, rolling his eyes in disgust.

"Oh, running to Daddy, are you, Malfoy," James said.

**"Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull **_**clunk**_** of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy ... you tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son ... you tell him that from me ... Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"**

"Snape's Head of Slytherin House?" James exclaimed, sitting up in surprise.

"Apparently," Lily answered.

"That's completely ridiculous," Sirius said.

"I find myself agreeing," Remus said.

**"Yes," said Malfoy resentfully.**

**"Another old friend," growled Moody.**

"What does he mean by that?" James asked.

"I'm sure it's nothing, James," Lily interjected. James didn't look convinced.

**"I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape ... come on, you ..." And he seized Malfoy's upper arm and marched him off towards the dungeons.**

"Though why Snape would want to have his office in the dungeons is beyond me," Sirius said.

**Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after them for a few moments, then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms.**

**"Don't talk to me," Ron said quietly to Harry and Hermione, as they sat own at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later, surrounded by excited talks on all sides about what had just happened.**

**"Why not?" said Hermione in surprise.**

**"Because I want to fix that in my memory for ever," said Ron, his eyes closed and an uplifted expression on his face. **

"He's not the only one," James said with a smirk.

"Oh no, I'm going to be remembering that for a long time," Remus agreed.

**"Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret ..."**

"Love the name," Sirius said, starting to laugh again.

**Harry and Hermione both laughed, and Hermione began doling beef casserole onto each of their plates.**

**"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," she said. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it -"**

"As good of a point as that is, I'd rather not think about that," Lily said.

"Lily, I'm seeing a whole new side of you," Sirius said, looking at her.

"What do you think made me fall in love with her?" James said, leaning down to kiss her lightly.

**"Hermione!" said Ron furiously, his eyes snapping open again. "You're ruining the best moment of my life!"**

"A bit melodramatic, but I find myself agreeing," Remus said.

**Hermione made an impatient noise and began to eat at top speed again.**

"Is she going to the library again?" asked James, sounding surprised.

"Apparently," Remus answered.

**"Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening?" said Harry, watching her.**

**"Got to," said Hermione thickly. "Loads to do." **

"Didn't she just say that she didn't get any homework?" asked Remus.

**"But you told us Professor Vector -" **

**"It's not schoolwork," she said. Within five minutes, she had cleared her plate and departed.**

"What do you think she's doing?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Who knows," Lily said, frowning at the appearance of yet another mystery.

"I suppose we'll find out soon though," James reasoned.

**No sooner had she gone than her seat was taken by Fred Weasley. "Moody!" he said. "How cool is he?" **

"I have to admit, that was one thing I never expected to have Moody be described as," Sirius said, shaking his head.

**"Beyond cool," said George, sitting down opposite Fred. **

**"Supercool," said the twins' best friend, Lee Jordan, sliding into the seat beside George. **

"Seems to have made an impression," Remus noted.

**"We had him this afternoon," he told Harry and Ron.**

**"What was it like?" said Harry eagerly.**

**Fred, George and Lee exchanged looks full of meaning.**

**"Never had a lesson like it," said Fred.**

"They wouldn't have, Moody has always done things differently," Lily said.

**"He **_**knows**_**, man," said Lee.**

**"Knows what?" said Ron, leaning forward.**

**"Knows what it's like to be out there **_**doing it**_**," said George impressively.**

"Enough with the dramatics and just tell us what you mean," Sirius said impatiently.

**"Doing what?" said Harry. **

**"Fighting the Dark Arts," said Fred.**

"Well, of course he does, he's one of the best Aurors around," James said.

**"He's seen it all," said George.**

**"'Mazing," said Lee.**

**Ron dived into his bag for his timetable.**

**"We haven't got him 'til Thursday!" he said in a disappointed voice.**

"And that is the end of the chapter," Lily announced.

She checked her watch and said, "I think we have time for one more chapter before dinner. James, do you want to read?"

James and agreed and reached over to get the book from Lily's hands. He looked over at the crib where his son was, to see him still sleeping peacefully with his thumb in his mouth and his blanket clenched tightly in his small hand before beginning to read the next chapter.

----------------------

_(1) I just figured I should put a quick note about this – this is just what Remus said in the previous chapter coming back; that Snape wouldn't be so mean to Harry if Sirius and James weren't so mean to him. James loves his son so much that he's disappointed in himself for making life difficult for him._

_Thanks for the reviews guys! Please tell what you thought of this one! :-)_


	17. The Unforgivable Curses

_Thank you for your patience as always, we are getting there slowly. Enjoy and review as always guys :)_

**---------------------**

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN **

**THE UNFORGIVABLE CURSES**

James' smile was immediately wiped off his face as he read the chapter title, nearly choking.

"Does that mean that Harry is going to see them performed?" Lily asked in a whisper, looking over at her infant son who was still sleeping, though this time clutching his stuffed snitch instead of the stuffed dragon.

"They'll probably just learn about them in class," Remus reasoned, with forced optimism.

"Yeah, you can definitely imagine Moody doing that in his first lesson," Sirius agreed. James nodded silently, still not completely happy about his son knowing about those particular curses.

**The next two days passed without great incident, unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions. **

"His sixth?" Remus said incredulously. "In his fourth year? Merlin, not even I was that bad!"

"Yeah – you only burnt one per year!" James cracked.

"Remus wasn't that bad at Potions," said Lily, though still laughing.

**Professor Snape, who seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer, **

"Damn Snape," Sirius said under his breath.

"Doesn't seem to be the best teacher, does he?" Lily agreed.

**gave Neville detention, and Neville returned from it in a nervous state of collapse, having been made to disembowel a barrelful of horned toads.**

"Why that!" Lily exclaimed. "Alright, forget about protecting him, that was completely uncalled for! Poor Neville…"

**"You know why Snape's in such a foul mood, don't you?" said Ron to Harry, as they watched Hermione teaching Neville a Scouring Charm to remove the toad guts from under his fingernails. **

Lily shuddered and the boys looked disgusted, though after many prank experiments not quite so much as Lily.

"I thought that Snape was always in a foul mood," said Sirius.

"So did I," agreed James, slightly bitterly. Hogwarts was meant to be a place that Harry could be carefree and happy, not being bullied by teachers.

**"Yeah," said Harry. "Moody." **

Sirius blinked and said, "That makes no sense to me. Does it make sense to you guys?"

"No, but I'm sure that if you let James continue to read, it would explain it," Lily said, slightly tensely.

**It was common knowledge that Snape really wanted the Dark Arts job, and he now failed to get it for the fourth year running. **

"That's actually quite surprising," Remus noted. "From what he was like at school, he definitely has the qualifications to be a DADA teacher."

"So the only question is, why didn't Dumbledore give it to him," Lily said thoughtfully.

"Who knows," said James, wanting to get off this particular subject.

**Snape had disliked all of their previous Dark Arts teachers, and shown it – **

Remus groaned, knowing that he had probably been the most hated-by-Snape DADA teacher.

"Don't worry, Moony," Sirius said cheerfully, "Just prank him back!"

"That's what got him into that mess," Lily pointed out.

**but he seemed strangely wary of displaying overt animosity to Mad-Eye Moody.**

"Something suspicious there," Sirius said.

"It could just be that he's scared," Remus said fairly, "I mean, Moody's got one hell of a reputation in our time, but from what we heard from the Weasleys, it's gotten a lot better."

"You both have a point," Lily interjected before they could start arguing, "But lets let James continue reading, yes?"

**Indeed, whenever Harry saw the two of them together - at mealtimes, or when they passed in the corridors - he had the distinct impression that Snape was avoiding Moody's eye, whether magical or normal.**

"It would be kind of difficult to avoid Moody's magical eye," Sirius snorted.

"Yeah, but the question is, why," James said thoughtfully. "There's obviously something up."

"Don't think the worst of him automatically," Remus cautioned, "Let's keep reading for now." James nodded silently – the book had made him realize that automatically accusing Snape was not the best course of action – it had made his son's Potions classes seem like hell.

**"I reckon Snape's a bit scared of him, you know," Harry said thoughtfully.**

"If you ask me, nearly everyone's scared of Moody," Lily said thoughtfully. "Particularly in that time," she added, nodding towards the book.

**"Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad," said Ron, his eyes misting over, "and bounced him all around his dungeon ..."**

They all laughed, even Lily having to admit that it would be a very funny sight to see. _And he would probably deserve it to, _she thought wryly, remembering the passage they had just read about one of Snape's classes.

**The Gryffindor fourth-years were looking forward to Moody's first lesson so much that they arrived early after lunch on Thursday and queued up outside his classroom before the bell had even rung. **

"Moody must have gotten one hell of a rep," Sirius said in a slightly awed voice.

"I know," James agreed, "I can't remember a single time where every single person has come to class early. Or even a time when the majority of a class shows up before the bell."

"Well, Moody's definitely become a popular teacher – who would have thought it!" Remus said, slightly amused.

**The only person missing was Hermione, who turned up just in time for the lesson. **

"Well, looks like not every single person is there," James amended.

"Surprising," Sirius added, "She seems to be the one most likely to be early."

"Just because she _seems _to be doesn't mean that she _will _be," Lily said in a slight lecturing tone.

**"Been in the -"**

**"- library," Harry finished her sentence for her.**

"Merlin, does she live there or something," Sirius said, exasperated.

"I have to admit, she's in there a little too much," Lily agreed, though she sounded curious rather than exasperated, "I wonder what she's doing."

**"C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats." **

"Another thing I never thought I'd hear in a school," said James, shaking his head ruefully.

Sirius caught onto the tone and, trying to alleviate some of the tenseness that had accumulated from the chapter title, said in a slightly wailing and melodramatic tone, "I know, Prongs! The new generation have completely forgotten the old ways!"

James sniffed and said, "It's so said, isn't it Padfoot? We have to corrupt, er, I mean _teach _them the proper ways!" James and Sirius managed to keep a straight face for about ten more seconds before starting to laugh. Lily and Remus had already started from Sirius' statement.

Lily, recovering before the two 'devastated' marauders, looked at them curiously. _I wish I knew what on earth got them to give each other the nicknames 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs'. Why, even Remus uses them! _She was shaken out of her thoughts by James voice reading on, still with some mirth in his voice.

**They hurried into three chairs right in front of the teacher's desk, **

"The worst place to sit," said Sirius, mock sadly. James nodded solemnly, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

**took out copies of **_**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection**_**, and waited, unusually quiet. Soon they heard Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. **

Lily shivered slightly, feeling sorry for the man she had gotten to know quite well, whether it be from Order meetings or waiting for James at the Auror department. James, sensing his wife's discomfort, put an arm around her comfortingly.

**They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.**

**"You can put those away," he growled, stumping over to his desk and sitting down, "those books. You won't need them." **

"Now _that _is the best thing a teacher can say," Sirius said, now sounding enthusiastic rather than mournful.

"I have to agree," Remus said, "There's nothing like learning something by _doing _it. Reading's all well and good, but it won't give you the experience necessary to do something."

"It can help though," Lily interjected fairly.

**They returned the books to their bags, Ron looking excited. **

"Just like Sirius," James said with a grin, dodging the pillow thrown by the man.

**Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled grey hair out of his twisted and scarred face and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.**

"That would be scary," Lily stated.

"No kidding," said James. "I think somebody ought to tell Moody the difference between kids and trainee Aurors."

"Somebody who can protect themselves from getting hexed," Remus said wryly.

**"Right then," he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin**

Remus gave a start and a look of surprise crossed his face at hearing himself referred to as Professor.

"You're definitely a good teacher, Remmy," Lily said approvingly. "Actually sending a letter to your 'successor' to tell them what they should cover and everything. I got so annoyed at some teachers who just continually covered the same thing over and over again."

**about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered Boggarts, **

"That would have been interesting," Sirius said, laughing.

"Yeah, remember the time that Boggart at Godric's Hollow turned into half a slug because it was trying to scare me and you at the same time?" James said, smiling as he recalled the memory.

"Not exactly frightening," Remus laughed.

**Red Caps, Hinkypunks,**

"Bloody annoying creatures," Sirius muttered.

**Grindylows, **

"Hurt like hell," James said with a wince, remembering one particularly vicious Grindylow from his own youth.

**Kappas and werewolves, **

"I taught about werewolves?" Remus asked, icy fear gripping his chest.

"It's not that bad," Lily said, hurrying to reassure him. "In fact, it would be a perfect opportunity to convince the students that werewolves aren't bad at all!"

Remus remained looking unconvinced.

**is that right?" **

**There was a general murmur of assent. **

**"But your behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," said Moody. **

"It's not your fault, Moony," James said, reading the look on his friends face correctly.

"Of course it's not," Lily said, "You probably just taught him during a year when they were meant to be learning about creatures."

"Besides," Sirius said, adding in his own two cents, "What would Moody seriously know about the curriculum?"

**"So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark -"**

**"What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.**

"I didn't think he would stay," said Lily, "If he was retired, then he would probably want to go back to retirement or do something that truly interests him, like freelance Auror work."

"But then why would he come out of retirement in the first place?" asked Sirius.

"No clue," James finally said after at least a minute of silence.

**Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron; Ron looked extremely apprehensive, but after a moment Moody smiled - the first time Harry had seen him do so. **

"He doesn't smile very often in our time, either," Sirius murmured.

**The effect was to make his heavily scarred face look more twisted and contorted than ever, **

Lily shuddered again and Remus said, "I agree with Lily. I'm never going to be able to look at Mad-eye the same again."

**but it was nevertheless a relief to know that he ever did anything as friendly as a smile. **

"Well, that's true," James said with a grin.

**Ron looked deeply relieved. **

"Who wouldn't be?" Lily asked rhetorically.

**"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago... **

"I wonder what really happened," Lily murmured thoughtfully.

"I doubt it matters, Lils," James said dismissively.

**yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore... one year, and then back to my quiet retirement."**

"Can you guys ever imagine Moody in a _quiet _retirement," Sirius asked, grinning.

"No."

"Nuh."

"Nope."

**He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped his gnarled hands together. **

"Ugh, I hate all these reminder about what he looks like!" Lily exclaimed.

"So do I," James agreed, "But it seems like we're gonna have to get used to it."

**"So - straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter-curses and leave it at that. **

"Which, when you think about it, isn't really the best strategy," Remus reasoned.

"You have to know what you're countering," James agreed. "To an extent though, especially at their age."

**I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in sixth year. **

"He wouldn't," Lily said sharply.

**You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it 'til then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope,**

"I think he might," James said slowly.

"Why that Albus Wulfric however-many-bloody-middle-names-he-has Dumbledore," Lily stormed. "You had better not have given permission for what I think you've given permission!"

**and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. **

"Merlin, they're fourteen," Remus exclaimed, eyes flashing gold.

**How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? **

"As true as that is, he's still going much too far," Sirius said, surprising himself. When he had been fourteen, he had been dying to learn about dangerous curses. It seemed that when his godson got involved, it was quite the opposite.

**A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. **

"As true as all that is, I agree with Sirius. He's taking it too far," James said flatly, "For goodness sake, we went to school during some of Voldemort's worst years, and even we only learned about some of the worst curses during seventh year!"

**You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking." **

**Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been showing Parvati her completed horoscope under the desk. **

"What's the point?" Sirius said with a roll of his eyes, glad to be off the subject of dangerous and dark curses being shown in front of his godson. If only it would last.

**Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head.**

"Alright, now that's just scary," Lily said.

"Agreed," said James. "Hey, do you think he can see through – "

"You had better not finish that sentence, James Potter," Lily said automatically, not even bothering to look up from where she was staring at the book.

**"So... do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?" **

"I don't believe it," said James, sounding shocked. "He's actually going to do it."

"Why that Albus whatever-the-bloody-hell-he-calls-himself and Alastor stupid-moronic-Auror-jock, just wait until I get my hands on you!" Lily stormed, eyes flashing. Her eyes only softened when she turned to see Harry sitting up in his crib, bleary eyed.

"Here, buddy," James said, hoping that his inner turmoil about his fourteen-year-old son wasn't noticed by his voice as he put in a whole lot of toys for Harry to play with.

Harry gave a satisfied cry as he crawled over to his blocks and started banging them together, giggling. Lily smiled as she returned to her spot on the couch next to James, motioning for him to continue reading, resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to be able to yell when Moody did something she didn't like, which she could tell that he was definitely going to. When she met him though…

**Several hands rose tentatively in the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.**

"That would look really freaky," Sirius said, shuddering.

**"Er," said Ron tentatively, "my dad told me about one... is it called the Imperius curse, or something?"**

"Start with the worst one," Remus said grimly.

"Wouldn't Avada Kedavra be considered the worst?" James asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know, I've always thought that the Cruciatus was the worst," Sirius contradicted.

"They're all the worst if you ask me," Lily declared.

"I know, but with the Imperius you might be forced to kill a loved one or torture them and then have to live with that fact," Remus pointed out. "You might even be forced to kill yourself in a far more painful manner then the other two curses."

"I suppose you do have a fair point," Sirius conceded.

**"Ah, yes," said Moody appreciatively. "Your father **_**would**_** know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius curse."**

"Of course it does – it's impossible to tell whether people are telling the truth or not, when they say that they were under the Imperius," James said.

**Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar. Three large, black spiders was scuttling around inside it.**

**Harry felt Ron recoil slightly next to him - Ron hated spiders. **

"Well, at least there's something we don't have in common," Sirius said in a satisfied voice. While he didn't love spiders, he didn't mind them very much and had never been afraid of them.

**Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it.**

Remus paled slightly as he realized what Moody was getting at.

**He then pointed his wand at it, and muttered, "**_**Imperio!**_**"**

"Why that," Lily hissed, making sure that she was quiet, so as not to upset her son.

"They have to see it," James said faintly, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself or trying to stop himself from going on a rampage rather then convincing or stopping anyone else.

**The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk, and began to swing backwards and forwards as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a backflip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.**

"You know what's really annoying?" Sirius said, not really phrasing the question to anyone in particular.

"What?" asked James, though he guessed it was the same thing that was bothering him as he read through the passage.

"The way he's making it seem humorous," Sirius answered.

"I agree completely," Lily murmured, hand over her mouth.

**Everyone was laughing - everyone except Moody.**

"See," Sirius exclaimed, "They think it's some kind of joke or something!"

"They're kids," James stated simply. "They're what, fourteen? They're barely teenagers! Unless Moody makes it seem serious, they're going to see the funny side of it."

Lily nodded silently and then added, "The problem is, the 'serious' part of it is so – well, serious."

**"Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?" **

"Well, that's a way to stop them from getting amused," James said, with a small smile. "Humiliation – the best way to convince a teenager of almost anything!" All four of them laughed, desperate to get some amusement before the rest of the curses were taught.

**The laughter died away almost instantly.**

**"Total control," said Moody quietly, as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats..."**

"And a hell of a lot worse, especially on a human," Remus murmured.

**Ron gave an involuntary shudder.**

"I bet he did, especially if he hates spiders so much," Lily said sympathetically.

**"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius curse," said Moody, **

"Alright, you know what's bugging me?" James said after a moments pause.

"What's that," Lily said with a small smile, guessing what her husband was thinking.

"That the time that we are in now, is being referred to as 'years back'," James answered. "It's like it's ancient history or something!"

"To them it probably is," Remus pointed out, "After all, if Harry was one when Voldemort was defeated, then all of them wouldn't remember anything about his reign at all."

**and Harry knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful. **

"It's almost like it's become something that you learn about in History of Magic," Lily marveled.

"To some people, yes," Remus said, "But not to those who have lost their families to him." Remus and Sirius threw a sympathetic look at Lily and James, for they had both flinched when Remus had finished his sentence.

**"Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will.**

"No kidding," James murmured, trying to keep his spirits light. He would not leave Harry alone. He would not!

**"The Imperius curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, **

"Excuse me?" Lily exclaimed, all thoughts about her own death gone. "Just how do you plan on doing so?!?"

"Don't worry, Lily," James said.

"Yeah, not even Moody is nuts enough to perform an Unforgivable on a bunch of kids," Sirius added confidently.

"I certainly hope so," Lily said with narrowed eyes.

"Trust me Lils," James said, his voice growing colder, "If he does, he'll have me to deal with as well."

"And me too," Sirius added, steel in his eyes. Remus said nothing, but the golden glare in his eyes made it completely clear that he would have his revenge also.

**but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. **

"That's also true," James conceded. "It's nearly as hard as a Patronus."

"I find it much harder, personally," Lily mentioned. Not being in the Auror squad, she had not been subject to the intensive training where they taught about 'force of will', so she could only throw off the curse with quite a bit of effort, while James and Sirius seemed to be able to do so almost effortlessly.

**Better avoid being hit with it if you can.**

"That, Moody, seems to be the best advice you've given all lesson," Lily said wryly.

**"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped.**

"I hate it when Moody does that," Sirius grumbled.

"I know," James said, complaining, "He always does it when you're not expecting him or you can't see him or something. It's downright annoying!"

**Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar. "Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?" **

**Hermione's hand flew into the air again and so, to Harry's slight surprise, did Neville's. **

"Why is it to Harry's surprise?" Lily asked, sounding surprised herself, "Frank and Alice are both Aurors, they were sure to have told Neville something about these curses."

**The only class in which Neville usually volunteered information was Herbology, which was easily his best subject. **

"I can get that Herbology is his best subject," Sirius said, "But I don't see Frank and Alice's son not knowing about Defence or Potions or whatnot."

**Neville looked surprised at his own daring. **

**"Yes?" said Moody, his magical eye rolling right over to fix on Neville.**

**"There's one - the Cruciatus curse," said Neville, in a small but distinct voice.**

"Alice and Frank would have told him about that one, right," Lily said, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself.

**Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes.**

**"Your name's Longbottom?" he said, his magical eye swooping down to check the register again.**

"And he's just saying that to make sure that he's the son of the Auror's he knows," Lily continued, fear beginning to show through slightly.

**Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further enquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop,**

"How does he know it's the next spider," Sirius asked thoughtfully, cocking his head to one side.

"Does it really matter?" Remus asked, rolling his eyes.

**where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.**

"Even it knows what's coming," Sirius murmured under his breath.

**"The Cruciatus curse," said Moody. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "**_**Engorgio!**_**"**

"What if we don't want them to get the picture?" Lily asked bitterly.

**The spider swelled. It was now larger than a tarantula. Abandoning all pretence, Ron pushed his chair backwards, as far away from Moody's desk as possible.**

"He's really scared of them, isn't he?" Sirius said, stating the obvious.

**Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "**_**Crucio!**_**" **

"How can he even cast that curse?" Lily said, paling slightly.

James was frowning slightly, it just didn't seem like Moody to do something like that. At least not the Head Auror Moody that he knew.

**At once, the spider's legs bent upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming.**

"It would have," Lily said, sounding upset at the fact her teenage son was witnessing this firsthand.

**Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently – **

_That's definitely not like Moody, _Sirius said, eyes narrowed. He locked eyes with James and saw the same suspicion there that he was feeling.

**"Stop it!" Hermione said shrilly.**

**Harry looked around at her. She was looking, not at the spider, but at Neville, and Harry, following her gaze, saw that Neville's hands were clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white, his eyes wide and horrified.**

"That does not bode well," Lily said, her face pale also.

"It might not be anything serious," Remus said with failed optimism.

**Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch. **

**"**_**Reducio**_**," Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.**

**"Pain," said Moody softly. "You don't need thumbscrews **

"What are thumbscrews?" James asked.

"Muggle torturing device," Lily answered tonelessly.

**or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus curse... that one was very popular once, too."**

"Unfortunately," Sirius said, bitterly.

**"Right... anyone know any others?" **

**Harry looked around. From the looks on everyone's faces, he guessed they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. **

"It won't be good," James said softly.

**Hermione's hand shook slightly as, for the third time, she raised it into the air.**

**"Yes?" said Moody, looking at her.**

**"**_**Avada Kedavra**_**," Hermione whispered. **

"I really don't want Harry to see this," Lily said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

**Several people looked uneasily around at her, including Ron.**

**"Ah," said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lop-sided mouth. "Yes, the last and worst. **

"Not quite true in some ways," James said with a bitter smile. Of course, if it took him away from his only son then he would call that the worst torture it was possible to have.

_**Avada Kedavra**_**... the Killing curse."**

**He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moody's fingers, but he trapped it, and placed it upon the desktop. **

"Seems a mockery of a duel, doesn't it," Remus said quietly.

**It started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface. **

**Moody raised his wand, and Harry felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.**

**"**_**Avada Kedavra!**_**" Moody roared.**

**There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air - instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead.**

Lily shuddered once more and felt, to her slight surprise, James also shudder, most likely seeing it happen to them as she was.

**Several of the girls stifled cries; Ron had thrown himself backwards and almost toppled off his seat as the spider skidded towards him. **

"They're kids," said Remus distantly, talking more to himself then to the others.

**Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor.**

**"Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no counter-curse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, **

"Wait, what?" Lily asked sharply. "What does he mean, 'one known person to have survived it?' No one's survived it! He just _said _that there was no counter-curse!"

"Lily's right, since when has anybody ever survived the Avada Kedavra?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"They haven't," Remus said flatly, "At least, not according to our history. Which means it has to be recent. Or, recent for them."

"Let's just hope it's mentioned," said Lily, loathe to have to have _another _mystery in this book.

**and he's sitting right in front of me." **

"Wait, what?" Lily asked once more.

"You don't think…" Sirius said, trailing off as James continued to read.

**Harry felt his face redden as Moody's eyes (both of them) looked into his own.**

"Merlin," Lily said, looking like she was about to faint, "Does that mean that Harry survived Avada Kedavra?"

"Apparently," James answered in a soft voice, feeling a rush of pride.

"But Merlin, that must have been when Harry was one," Remus said in an awed voice.

"So, a baby with no magical training whatsoever managed to do what grown wizards have been trying to do for centuries," Sirius summarized, trying (and failing) to hide the anger he felt at the thought of somebody trying to hit his godson with an unforgivable. Thought that didn't offset the pride he felt in his godson for being able to do so – but he shouldn't have _had _to.

**He could feel everyone else looking around at him, too. Harry stared at the blank blackboard as though fascinated by it, but not really seeing it at all... **

"My poor baby," Lily said softly and emotionally.

**So that was how his parents had died... **

James shuddered as he read that part, as did the other three when they heard it.

**exactly like that spider. Had they been unblemished and unmarked, too? Had they simply seen the flash of green light and heard the rush of speeding death, before life was wiped from their bodies?**

Lily took a deep breath to try to calm herself, tears welling up in her green eyes. James continued reading, now in a slightly shakier voice then normal.

**Harry had been picturing his parents' deaths over and over again for three years now, ever since he had found out they had been murdered, ever since he'd found out what had happened that night: how Wormtail had betrayed his parents' whereabouts to Voldemort, **

They're hearts went cold as they realized that maybe this 'Wormtail' wasn't quite so far away as he had seemed at the beginning. James looked over at his two best friends grimly, an unspoken agreement between them. Even if all the signs were there, they had to make sure – and when they were positive, then they could kill him for making Harry go through all that pain. _(1)_

**who had come to find them at their cottage. How Voldemort had killed Harry's father first. **

James stifled a gasp, and Sirius didn't even bother to hide his tears as he saw in his minds eye the image of his best friend dying.

**How James Potter had tried to hold him off, while he shouted at his wife to take Harry and run...**

"Just like you, mate," Sirius said with a watery smile, seeing his best friend beginning to cry himself. Lily and Remus had already let themselves go.

**and Voldemort had advanced on Lily Potter, told her to move aside so that he could kill Harry ... how she had begged him to kill her instead, refused to stop shielding her son ... and so Voldemort had murdered her, too, before turning his wand on Harry...**

All four of them were out and out crying by them, Lily in James' arm, sobbing the hardest of them all, somehow able to project herself to feel what she must have felt that night. The terrible pain and helplessness as she heard her husband murdered and to see a feared killer after her baby boy, to see that horrible green light heading towards her…

"Mummy sad?" A small childish voice broke her away from her thoughts. She turned around to see Harry standing on wobbly legs, hanging onto the bars of the crib, looking at her with childish curiosity.

She stood up and walked over to him. She picked him up and cuddled him close to her, sensing James move over to her and wrapping his arms around them both. She relished in the comfort she felt from her family being near as she murmured into her son's already messy jet-black hair, "Mummy's going to be fine, Harry."

Sirius and Remus were silent, not wanting to intrude on the family, and also trying to get ahold of their own emotions. If they had it their way, then this would not happen. It couldn't happen!

It was at least ten minutes before any of them even thought about continuing to read, and by then Harry was squirming out of his mothers grasp, wanting to return to his toys. Lily put him down gently and returned to couch, this time staying safely in James' arms as Sirius, noticing the look on his best friends face, picked up the book to continue reading.

**Harry knew these details because he had heard his parents' voices when he had fought the Dementors last year – **

"Why would he do that?" Lily asked, her voice raspy from crying.

"Probably something to do with how Sirius escaped," James said, his own voice also hoarse.

**for that was the terrible power of the Dementors: to force their victim to relive the worst memories of their life, and drown, powerless, in their own despair...**

Sirius shivered convulsively, feeling horrible just reading about it, he had absolutely no idea how on earth he was even going to be able to survive them for several minutes let alone be able to live through them for twelve years and then even manage to escape them.

**Moody was speaking again, from a great distance, it seemed to Harry. With a massive effort, **

Lily sniffed and a barely audible 'My poor baby' was heard.

**he pulled himself back to the present, and listened to what Moody was saying. **

**"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it - you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nose-bleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it."**

"If you were, I would have something serious to say about it," Lily said, her voice still raspy bit obviously making an effort to sound like her old self.

James nodded with her, eyes red.

**"Now, if there's no counter-curse, why am I showing you? **_**Because you've got to know**_**. **

"I beg to differ," Lily said, not quite indignantly, but nearing it.

**You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared, and the whole class jumped again. **

"He's acting strange," Sirius stated.

"Doesn't he always act strange?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow. Sirius only shrugged, frowning slightly as he thought about the actions of his mentor.

**"Now ... those three curses - Avada Kedavra, Imperius and Cruciatus - are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. **

Sirius shivered once more, the name of the prison bringing forward bleak memories of the future as it had done ever since he had discovered his fate. _No! Not fate. It can be changed!_

**That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice **_**constant, never-ceasing vigilance**_**. **

"I know we've been saying this throughout the whole chapter, but they're kids," Remus said. "He honestly can't expect a bunch of kids to practice 'constant never ceasing vigilance'."

"Well, apparently he does," Lily said, wiping her eyes of the remaining tears.

**Get out your quills ... copy this down ..." **

**They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang - but when Moody had dismissed them and they had left the classroom, a torrent of talk burst forth. Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices – **

"Like we said, he can't expect them to take it seriously," James said, in a slightly grim voice.

"This is why they don't teach it until NEWTs year," Lily exclaimed, because by them you will realize just how dangerous it is!"

**"Did you see it twitch?" "- and when he killed it - just like that!" **

**They were talking about the lesson, Harry thought, as though it had been some sort of spectacular show, but he hadn't found it very entertaining – and nor, it seemed, had Hermione. **

Lily gave a choked sob and James said with a bitter smile and tears in his eyes, "Neither did we, Harry, neither did we."

Baby Harry looked up when he heard his name, but his guardians weren't looking at him. They were looking at that booky thingy that he had hidden and it had gotten him all that chocolate! He wanted some more sweets too, but he knew that Mummy and Daddy wouldn't let him. If it was just Uncle Paddy, he might but not all of them.

Harry cocked his head, sucking his thumb as he thought. There had to be some way to get sweets. As he concentrated, he gave a small start when a light appeared on his blanky and a bag appeared on it. He gurgled happily as he looked through the bag to see what his newly found treasure was. It wasn't chocolate, but it seemed like some sort of sweet. It was yellow and hard, and when he popped it in it was a sort of sour taste, not like at all like any of the sweets or baby food he got from his guardians.

**--------In another part of the castle---------------**

"Where on earth are my Lemon Drops?" Albus Dumbledore murmured as he thoroughly searched every one of his drawers.

"They can't have just disappeared!" he said exasperatedly after several minutes searching futilely. He was kneeling down on his knees, searching for his candy underneath his desks, making an image that didn't quite befit a man of his standing.

He turned to his phoenix as Fawkes trilled amusingly. He narrowed his eyes and said accusingly, "You took them, didn't you, you overgrown chicken??"

----------------------------------------

Unaware of what had just transpired, the four adults were still reading.

**"Hurry up," she said tensely to Harry and Ron.**

**"Not the ruddy library again?" said Ron.**

"Don't worry, Ron, if it was the library, she wouldn't get you to come with her," Sirius said with a laugh, glad that the heavy part was over – for now. He fervently hoped that it would not appear again in this chapter. Hearing about his best friends' death and his godsons near death was traumatizing enough.

**"No," said Hermione curtly, pointing up a side passage. "Neville." **

"I'm really curious about what's up with that," Lily said, frowning slightly. "I mean, is it just from stories his parents have told or something more serious?"

"Only one way to find out," James said, motioning towards the book that was now in Sirius' hands rather than his own. He seemed more content to cuddle with his wife and glance over at his son frequently rather then continue reading.

**Neville was standing alone, halfway up the passage, staring at the stone wall opposite him with the same horrified, wide-eyed look he was worn when Moody had demonstrated the Cruciatus curse. **

"Yeah, that doesn't bode well," Lily said with a grimace, knowing that Alice and Frank most likely weren't as safe as she thought that they were. Or more, that she hoped that they were.

"Like you said, Lily, it might just be stories," James said encouragingly, trying to be optimistic for his wife. While he liked Frank, both as a colleague and a friend, he wasn't nearly so close to him as Lily was to Alice.

**"Neville?" Hermione said gently.**

**Neville looked around.**

**"Oh, hello," he said, his voice much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm - I'm starving, aren't you?"**

"Something's definitely up," Sirius said under his breath, exchanging a dark look with Remus.

**"Neville, are you all right?" said Hermione.**

**"Oh, yes, I'm fine," Neville gabbed, in the same unnaturally high voice. "Very interesting dinner - I mean lesson - what's for eating?"**

"Oh yeah, definitely," James agreed.

"The question is, what," Lily finished.

**Ron gave Harry a startled look.**

**"Neville, what -?"**

"I'm guessing he's seen it before," Remus said. The words, _'Hopefully it wasn't on his parents' _remained unspoken between them.

**But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them, and they turned to see Professor Moody **

"That another name I never expected to hear 'Professor' in front of," Remus said with a raised eyebrow.

"To true," Sirius said with a laugh. James and Lily were also laughing.

**limping towards them. All four of them fell silent, watching him apprehensively, but when he spoke, it was in a much lower and gentler growl than they had yet heard.**

"Would you consider the way Moody talks now, a growl?" Lily asked.

"I dunno," James said, shrugging. "Maybe."

**"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville."Why don't you come up to my office? Come on ... we can have a cup of tea..."**

Sirius looked more satisfied now, this sounded far more like the Moody that he knew.

**Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody. **

"I think everyone would be," Lily chuckled.

**He neither moved nor spoke. **

**Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry. "You all right, are you, Potter?"**

**"Yes," said Harry, almost defiantly. **

"Pride," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Just my luck that he has to inherit that trait from his incredibly annoying father," she said, throwing a dark look at her husband who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

She turned over to the crib where her son was playing and said in a lecturing tone, "Harry James Potter, despite what ideas the hair-brained genetics of your father may have given you, it is _not _a bad thing to admit that something is wrong and you need help or comfort."

The three boys were trying with difficulty to stifle their laughter as Lily prattled on to Harry, who was staring at her with wide, confused bright-green eyes.

It took her at least five minutes to finish her lecture and she then, after giving her son a tight bear hug, she returned to the couch. She rolled her eyes and said, "Just how many sweets did you give him?"

**Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry.**

**Then he said, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, **_**but you've got to know**_**. No point pretending ... well ... come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."**

"That's nice of him," said Lily, though the slight ice in her voice proved that he was in no way forgiven.

**Neville looked pleadingly at Harry, Ron and Hermione, but they didn't say anything, so Neville had no choice but to allow himself to be steered away, one of Moody's gnarled hands on his shoulder.**

**"What was that about?" said Ron, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.**

"I wish I knew," the four of them said at the same time, then stared at each other in surprise. They burst into laughter, managing to alleviate some of the tension and sorrow that had built up during Harry's lesson on the Unforgivables.

**"I don't know," said Hermione, looking pensive.**

**"Some lesson, though, eh?" said Ron to Harry, as they set off for the Great Hall. **

"Somehow, I think you and Harry may differ in opinion about the lesson," said Remus.

**"Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just **_**died**_**, just snuffed it right -" **

"Way to much like Sirius," Remus and James both said under their breath, referring to the fact that Sirius quite often said things before thinking them through. Sirius glared at them, but didn't bother defending himself, knowing that he did have a habit of speaking before thinking. The 'Whomping Willow' incident was evidence enough of that.

**But Ron fell suddenly silent at the look on Harry's face, **

"At least he can take a hint," said James, jokingly.

**and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall, when he said he supposed they had better make a start on Professor Trelawney's predictions tonight, as they would take hours.**

"I really don't like that woman," James declared.

"You're not the only one," Sirius said wryly, and both Lily and Remus nodded in agreement.

**Hermione did not join in with Harry and Ron's conversation during dinner, but ate furiously fast and **

"No, wait, let me guess," James said, putting his hand up, "She went to the library, right?"

**then left for the library again. **

"Absolutely correct, Prongs," Sirius answered, chuckling.

**Harry and Ron walked back to Gryffindor Tower, and Harry, who had been thinking of nothing else all through dinner, now raised the subject of the Unforgivable Curses himself. **

**"Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?" Harry asked, as they approached the Fat Lady.**

"Forget the Ministry!" Lily exclaimed, "I'm going to give them a piece of my own mind, mark my words!"

**"Yeah, probably," said Ron. "But Dumbledore's always done things his way, **

"And I never thought I'd be upset or annoyed about that fact," James said.

"I know, I can't even believe I'm saying this, but the Ministry does have the right idea to wait until NEWT year – or at the very least, OWL year – to show Unforgivables," said Remus, actually looking pained to admit that the Ministry was right about something.

**hasn't he, and Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. **

"Not quite true," James contradicted, "Not in out time, anyway."

**Attacks first and asks questions later – **

"That one's true," James admitted, snorting.

"Yeah, like that witch that surprised on April Fools Day or Halloween or something," agreed Sirius, wincing as he remembered. "I wonder if she ever got out of St Mungos?"

**look at his dustbins. **

James and Sirius both laughed at the reminder of the dustbins.

**Balderdash."**

**The Fat Lady swung forwards to reveal the entrance hole, and they climbed into Gryffindor common room, which was crowded and noisy.**

**"Shall we get our Divination stuff, then?" said Harry.**

**"I s'pose," Ron groaned.**

"I am so glad I decided against Divination," Sirius said, sounding both sympathetic and relieved.

**They went up to the dormitory to fetch their books and charts, and found Neville there alone, sitting on his bed, reading. He looked a good deal calmer than at the end of Moody's lesson, **

"That's good," Lily said, relieved.

**though still not entirely normal. His eyes were rather red.**

"That's not so good," she said, now sounding concerned.

**"You all right, Neville?" Harry asked him. **

"Good boy, Harry," Lily praised with a smile, "Kind to friends, and asking the exact question that I want answered!"

**"Oh yes," said Neville, "I'm fine, thanks. Just reading this book Professor Moody lent me ..." He held up the book: **_**Magical Mediterranean Water-Plants and Their Properties**_**. **

"Interesting," Sirius said, dryly.

"Oh, he obviously likes it, so leave the boy alone," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

**"Apparently, Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology," Neville said. There was a faint note of pride in his voice that Harry had rarely heard there before. "He thought I'd like this." **

**Telling Neville what Professor Sprout had said, Harry thought, had been a very tactful way of cheering Neville up, for Neville very rarely heard that he was good at anything. **

"That's really sad," Lily said, motherly concern showing. She was also worried about what this meant about what had happened to Frank and Alice.

**It was the sort of thing Professor Lupin would have done.**

Remus gave a start and then blushed, pleased to know that his students (and, more importantly, his best friends son) thought so highly of him.

"Aw, Moony's blushing," Sirius heckled him with a grin.

"Oh, shut it, Sirius," Remus said good-naturedly.

**Harry and Ron took their copies of **_**Unfogging the Future**_** back down to the common room, found a table and set to work on their predictions for the coming month. An hour later, they had made very little progress, though their table was littered with bits of parchment bearing sums and symbols, and Harry's brain was as fogged as though it had been filled with the fume from Professor Trelawney's fire. **

"In other words, they're finding it impossible to work," James summarized.

**"I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean," he said, staring down at a long list of calculations.**

"Normally I'd say that you weren't paying attention in class, but in this case, I can't really see how you _can _pay attention in class," Lily said dryly.

**"You know," said Ron, whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration, "I think it's back to the old Divination standby." **

"Oh," said Sirius, interest piqued, "And just what is this old 'stand-by'?"

**"What - make it up?"**

"Harry," Lily said, managing to sound both disapproving and amused at the same time.

James was just plain laughing and said, "Well done, son! That's the way to do it!"

**"Yeah," said Ron, sweeping the jumble of scrawled notes off the table, dipping his pen into some ink and starting to write. **

**"Next Monday," he said, as he scribbled, "I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter." He looked up at Harry. "You know her - just put in loads of misery, she'll lap it up."**

"Horrible woman," Lily grumbled, and James nodded next to her, scowling as he recalled the fact that apparently she enjoyed predicting his sons death.

**"Right," said Harry, crumpling up his first attempt and lobbing it over the heads of a group of chattering first-years into the fire. **

James and Sirius both laughed and high-fived while Lily looked slightly disapproving, though her mouth was twitching in an obvious smile.

**"OK ... on Monday, **_**I**_** will be in danger of - er - burns."**

**"Yeah, you will be," said Ron darkly, "we're seeing the Skrewts again on Monday. **

"I do hope that these predictions don't come true," Lily said, now sounding slightly worried.

**OK, Tuesday, **_**I'll**_** ... erm ..."**

**"Lose a treasured possession," said Harry, who was flicking through **_**Unfogging the Future**_** for ideas.**

**"Good one," said Ron, copying it down. "Because of ... erm ... Mercury. Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?"**

The four of them flinched, recalling the mention of 'Wormtail' betraying them. Could it really be their friend and fellow marauder?

**"Yeah ... cool ..." said Harry, scribbling it down, "because ... Venus is in the twelfth house."**

**"And on Wednesday, I think I'll come off worst in a fight." **

**"Aaah, I was going to have a fight. OK, I'll lose a bet."**

**"Yeah, you'll be betting I'll win my fight ..."**

"I don't want to know how they got so good at this," Lily said, shaking her head.

**They continued to make up predictions (which grew steadily more tragic) **

"You know, that could actually be fun," Sirius said thoughtfully.

**for another hour, while the common room around them slowly emptied as people went up to bed. Crookshanks wandered over to them, leapt lightly into an empty chair, and stared inscrutably at Harry, rather as Hermione might look if she knew they weren't doing their homework properly. **

Lily laughed, though James and Sirius looked quite horrified about this fact. Remus was also looking amused.

**Staring around the room, trying to think of a kind of misfortune he hadn't yet used, Harry saw Fred and George sitting together against the opposite wall, heads together, quills out, poring over a single piece of parchment. **

"Prankster plotting," the three marauders said in unison.

"Classic sign," Lily added.

**It was most unusual to see Fred and George hidden away in a corner and working silently; they usually liked to be in the thick of things, and the noisy centre of attention. **

"Or perhaps not," Remus said, intrigued.

"It could just be something bigger then what they normally do," Sirius reasoned.

"True," Remus conceded, nodding his head.

**There was something secretive about the way they were working on the piece of parchment, and Harry was reminded of how they was sat together writing something back at The Burrow. **

"That true too," Lily said, now intrigued herself, "Another order form, perhaps?"

**He had thought then that it was another order form for **_**Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes**_**, but it didn't look like that this time; **

"Or not," she corrected herself.

"Looks like they're up to something," James said.

"It might be something to do with the Triwizard Tournament," Sirius pointed out.

**if it had been, they would surely have let Lee Jordan in on the joke. He wondered whether it had anything to do with entering the Triwizard Tournament.**

**As Harry watched, George shook his head at Fred, scratched something out with his quill and said, in a very quiet voice that nevertheless carried across the almost deserted room, "No - that sounds like we're accusing him. Got to be careful ..." **

"And the plot thickens," Remus said with an arched eyebrow.

"Wonder what's up," Sirius said thoughtfully. James laughed at Lily's scowl – which had most likely appeared from the appearance of yet _another _mystery. It was definitely a good thing that Harry had not inherited that particular trait of Lily's.

**Then George looked over and saw Harry watching him. Harry grinned, and quickly returned to his predictions - he didn't want George to think he was eavesdropping. **

"Which he wasn't," Remus said fairly, "After all, it said the their voices carried to Harry, not that he strained to hear them."

**Shortly after that, the twins rolled up their parchment, said goodnight and went off to bed.**

**Fred and George had been gone ten minutes or so when the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the common room, **

"She's left the library!" Sirius said, mock-gasping.

"Oh, shut it," Lily said, smiling.

**carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked, in the other. **

"Looks like we're finally going to find out why she's been going to the library so often," Remus said.

**Crookshanks arched his back, purring.**

**"Hello," she said, "I've just finished!"**

**"So have I!" said Ron triumphantly, throwing down his quill. **

**Hermione sat down, laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair and pulled Ron's predictions towards her. **

"Somehow I'm going to guess that she's going to be able to automatically tell that they just made it up," James said, grinning.

**"Not going to have a very good month, are you?" she said sardonically, as Crookshanks curled up in her lap.**

"Right again, James," Sirius said, also grinning.

**"Ah well, at least I'm forewarned," Ron yawned.**

**"You seem to be drowning twice," said Hermione. **

"Just what sort of predictions are they doing?" Lily asked, sounding rather shocked.

"They do seem a little more over-the-top then I expected," Sirius admitted.

"It also seems a little obvious they were made up," Remus added.

**"Oh, am I?" said Ron, peering down at his predictions. "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging Hippogriff."**

"It also seems a little obvious that they were made up," Remus added.

**"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made this up?" said Hermione. **

"Yes," they all said in unison, but with a smile.

**"How dare you!" said Ron, in mock outrage. "We've been working like house-elves here!" **

"Most likely not the best thing to say to her," Remus said with a slight wince.

**Hermione raised her eyebrows.**

"Right as always, Moony," Sirius murmured.

**"It's just an expression," said Ron hastily.**

**Harry laid down his quill, too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation.**

Lily paled and said, "These predictions are a little too tragic if you ask me!"

"I agree," said James whole-heartedly, the image of his son dying definitely not one he wanted to live with.

**"What's in the box?" he asked, pointing at it.**

**"Funny you should ask," said Hermione, with a nasty look at Ron. **

"Something to do with house elves, then," Remus said with a sigh.

**She took off the lid, and showed them the contents. **

**Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colours, but all bearing the same letters: S. P. E. W. **

"Spew?" Sirius asked, confused.

"Where's she going with this?" asked James, also confused.

**"'Spew'?" said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. "What's this about?" **

**"Not **_**spew**_**," said Hermione impatiently. "Its S - P - E - W. **

"Which is Spew," said James matter-of-factly.

**Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."**

"She probably should have chosen a different name," Lily said.

"You think," Sirius snorted. James nodded in agreement.

**"Never heard of it," said Ron.**

**"Well, of course you haven't," said Hermione briskly, "I've only just started it."**

"Like we said, before you continue it, change the name," Lily advised.

**"Yeah?" said Ron in mild surprise. "How many members have you got?"**

**"Well - if you two join - three," said Hermione.**

"You really expect them to walk around with badges that say spew?" James asked doubtfully.

"I'm surprised she's willing to walk around with badges that say spew," said Sirius.

"She's definitely firm in her beliefs," Remus said.

**"And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew', do you?" said Ron.**

**"S - P - E - W!" said Hermione hotly. **

"You'd think she'd know that nobody's going to call it that," James said with a grin.

**"I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status – **

The four of them couldn't help laughing.

**but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto." **

**She brandished the sheaf of parchment at them. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."**

"Because the elves are so used to it that they don't complain and wizards and witches don't bother to find anything unless it's clear cut in front of them," Remus said simply.

"Rather like werewolves," Sirius said, sounding bitter. He and James had tried hundreds of times to get less restricting laws about werewolves or to prove that they were humans too, but unfortunately so far nobody would listen.

**"Hermione - open your ears," said Ron loudly. "They. Like. It. They **_**like**_** being enslaved."**

"It's more of a fact that they're so used to it that they like it," Lily corrected.

**"Our short-term aims," said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand-use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly unrepresented."**

"They won't want it," said Remus flatly. "Holidays and working conditions, perhaps, but wages, well, some may agree to but the vast majority will not. And as for wands, house-elves don't need them, they have their own brand of magic."

**"And how do we do all this?" Harry asked. **

**"We start by recruiting members," said Hermione happily. "I thought two Sickles to join - that buys a badge - and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron - I've got you a collecting tin upstairs - and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting."**

"Well, at least you can say that she's determined," Lily said, lips twitching.

**There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione, and amusement at the look on Ron's face. The silence was broken, not by Ron, who in any case looked as though he was temporarily dumbstruck, but by a soft **_**tap, tap**_** on the window. **

"I wonder what that is," said Lily curiously.

**Harry looked across the now empty common room, and saw, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the window-sill. **

"It's Harry's owl," Lily said, sitting up.

"That means you will have written to him, mate," James said to Sirius, also sitting up and looking at the book more intensely.

**"Hedwig!" he shouted, and he launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window.**

"I hope I don't disappoint him," said Sirius wincing slightly.

"Don't even think it," James scolded, "You won't disappoint him."

**Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room and landed on the table on top of Harry's predictions. **

"I hope she doesn't ruin his hard work," Lily said absently.

**"About time!" said Harry, hurrying after her.**

**"She's got an answer!" said Ron excitedly, pointing at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg.**

**Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read it, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly.**

**"What does it say?" Hermione asked breathlessly.**

"Yeah, tell us already," Sirius said impatiently.

"You're reading, Padfoot," Remus pointed out, amused.

"Oh – right," Sirius said sheepishly, looking back at the book.

**The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud:**

_**Harry -**_

_**I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here.**_

"What sort of rumors?" asked Lily immediately, sounding slightly panicked.

"How am I meant to know?" asked Sirius, "This is me thirteen years in the future."

"Sorry," said Lily, "I'm just worried."

_**If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore - they're saying he's got Mad-Eye Moody out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is.**_

"This is really not boding well," said James.

_**I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry.  
**_**  
**_**Sirius**_"

**Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione, who stared back at him. **

**"He's flying north?" Hermione whispered. "He's coming **_**back**_**?" **

"If I thought my godson was in trouble, of course I'd come back," Sirius said indignantly.

_And he doesn't think he's a good godfather, _James thought, rolling his eyes internally.

**"Dumbledore's reading what signs?" said Ron, looking perplexed. "Harry - what's up?" **

"I'm getting the feeling that the 'pride' factor is going to make an appearance again," Lily mumbled.

**For Harry had just hit himself in the forehead with his fist, jolting Hedwig out of his lap.**

**"I shouldn't've told him," Harry said furiously.**

"And why not?" Sirius asked indignantly.

**"What are you on about?" said Ron, in surprise. **

"Exactly!" Sirius exclaimed, whole-heartedly agreeing with Ron.

**"It's made him think he's got to come back!" said Harry, **

"Oh," Sirius said, realization dawning. "But of course I'd come back if Harry is in danger!"

"And we would expect you to," Lily agreed. "Harry James Potter, I swear, you had better get rid of that 'pride' factor! Sirius is there to help you and you had better accept that help!"

**now slamming his fist on the table so that Hedwig landed on the back of Ron's chair, hooting indignantly. "Coming back because he thinks I'm in trouble! **

"All four of us would do it for you, Harry," said James softly, upset at the fact that his son didn't know this, didn't consider it common knowledge like he had always expected.

**And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you," Harry snapped at Hedwig, who was clicking her beak expectantly, "you'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food." **

"Don't take it out on your poor owl, Harry," Lily said disapprovingly.

**Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, cuffing him around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.**

"Good girl," Lily praised, "Maybe that will get him to see sense!"

**"Harry," Hermione began, in a pacifying sort of voice. **

**"I'm going to bed," said Harry shortly. "See you in the morning."**

**Upstairs in the dormitory he pulled on his pyjamas and got into his four-poster, but he didn't feel remotely tired.**

**If Sirius came back and got caught, it would he his, Harry's fault. **

"No it wouldn't," Remus said firmly.

"Besides, it's not like Sirius would even let himself get caught," James added and Sirius nodded.

**Why hadn't he kept his mouth shut? A few seconds' pain and he'd had to blab ... **

"I would have wanted you to blab," Sirius said firmly. All four of them seemed to have forgotten that Harry couldn't hear them. In fact, baby Harry was staring at them quite oddly…

**if he'd just had the sense to keep it to himself ...**

"I think you portrayed the perfect amount of sense by writing to Sirius!" Lily said.

**He heard Ron come up into the dormitory a short while later, but did not speak to him. For a long time, Harry lay staring up at the dark canopy of his bed. The dormitory was completely silent, and, had he been less preoccupied, Harry would have realised that the absence of Neville's usual snores meant that he was not the only one lying awake.**

"Poor Neville," said Lily absent-mindedly.

"Well, that wasn't exactly the best chapter," Sirius said.

"Definitely not," James agreed. He looked at his watch and said, "I'd say it's probably time for dinner…"

--------------------------

_Let me know what you thought!_


	18. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

_Sorry guys, just quickly - I've uploaded this chapter but ffnet must have screwed something up because parts of it had words that run together. I think I've fixed but let me know if you see any problems._

_So I know it has been a ridiculously long time since the last update. You have no idea how sorry I am about that. There are a number of factors behind it, but I'm not going to make excuses. I'm just going to reiterate how sorry I am and, although its hardly adequate compensation, at least this chapter is brand new (the original having been lost in somewhere in my crashed hard-drive –long story) and incredibly long. _

_I sincerely hope you enjoy and once again apologise profusely for the ridiculously long wait. I can't even bring myself to look at the dates to see exactly how long its been, I'm that ashamed of it! _

_One last thing – this has not been beta-ed. I wanted to get it up as soon as possible._

* * *

Sirius and James re-entered the quarters first, still laughing at the long-winded explanation Dumbledore had given them over dinner as to why his robes and beard were singed. Hearing about Fawkes' annoyance over being accused of stealing his masters sweets somewhat lessened – though in no way eradicated – James' annoyance at the Headmaster for allowing Moody to teach the Unforgivable Curses to a group of fourth-years.

Although he realised the irrationality of being angry with the man for something he would allow to happen thirteen years in the future, it did not change the fact that James remained quite irritated with the Headmaster.

Lily felt similarly – as she placed Harry onto a blanket in between but to the side of the two couches they were using, she couldn't help but feel anger towards those who would cause her innocent little baby heartache in the future. Her fourteen year old son, whom she already loved just as much as the baby in front of her, did not need people bringing up painful memories of his parents deaths. It was bad enough that the child remembered it.

"What do you reckon, Bambi, are these gonna be fun to play with or what?" Sirius asked enthusiastically as he unloaded a vast array of toys from the box he had dragged over to the blanket.

"Why do you insist on calling my son Bambi?" James asked irritably, although he smiled at his best mate and his son good-naturedly.

"You're a deer, Bambi is a baby deer –"

"The correct terms are stag and fawn," James corrected with narrowed eyes, knowing that Sirius was well aware that James did not like being referred to as a deer.

"See, you don't deny it," Sirius pointed out with a grin. "Besides, you can't say that you don't think it's adorable."

"Well, maybe a little bit," James said with a small smile, kissing his son on the forehead.

"Besides, James, you really should just be thankful that he's stopped calling the poor kid Itty-Bitty-Prongsy," Remus informed them with an amused grin, bringing over Harry's favourite stuffed toy.

"That's very true," James agreed firmly.

"It just wasn't anywhere near adorable enough for my godson," Sirius said simply, shrugging. "I only used it because I knew it would irritate Jamesie, but I have other ways of achieving that." He winked at his best mate, causing James to roll his eyes.

"Alright, come on, we can still read a few chapters before bed," Lily said, also getting up off the floor. She and James settled on the couch in such a way that they would be able to see exactly what their small child would be doing.

Remus and Sirius settled down opposite them, and Remus grabbed the book deciding to simply continue reading as he had only read the second half of the last chapter.

**Beauxbatons and Durmstrang**

"Oh, it looks like the other two schools are arriving for the tournament," Lily noted, "that ought to be interesting."

"Especially since you know they're going to arrive fairly spectacularly," Remus added, his interest also peaked.

"Yes, what's the point in arriving by portkey or floo when you can show off," Sirius responded sardonically, more than aware of the importance many wizards placed on appearances due to own pure-blood upbringing.

"Yeah, but sometimes it's fun to show off," James added fairly.

"You would say that," Lily said to her husband fondly. James just grinned at her in response.

**Early next morning, Harry woke with a plan fully formed in his mind, **

"What kind of plan?" Lily asked suspiciously. "I don't like the sound of this."

"Maybe it's a prank," Sirius said hopefully, even though he knew it wasn't. He just preferred to think of his godson planning to have fun rather than what he suspected Harry was up to.

Remus shook his head, "he was worried about Sirius returning to Britain last chapter, perhaps this is something to do with that?"

"If that's the case, then I agree with Lily," James said, eyes slightly narrow. "I don't like the sound of this."

**as though his sleeping brain had been working on it all night.**

**He got up, dressed in the pale dawn light, left the dormitory without waking Ron, and went back down to the deserted common room. Here he took a piece of parchment from the table upon which his Divination homework still lay**

"Really, Harry, you shouldn't leave your work lying around," Lily reprimanded absentmindedly.

** and wrote the following letter:**

**Dear Sirius,**

**I reckon I just imagined my scar hurting, **

"Excuse me?" Sirius asked with his eyebrows raised.

**I was half asleep when I wrote to you last time. There's no point coming back, everything's fine here. Don't worry about me, my head feels completely normal.**

**Harry**

"Harry James," James muttered angrily, "Sirius is supposed to help you, and lying to him does not facilitate him doing so."

"I'm almost insulted that he thinks I'd fall for such a horrible lie," Sirius claimed, pasting on a smile. Although that was somewhat true, he was actually quite hurt that Harry was trying to trick him. He had always imagined himself as the person that Harry could always come to, would always be able to confide in and tell the truth.

"He obviously cares about you a great deal, Sirius," Lily stated, seeing right through his facade. She was also masking her own bitterness, as she was sure that Harry's apparent refusal to take care of his own needs was a result of her sister's negligent care.

"I know," Sirius responded, though he couldn't stop the pleased smile that appeared when he heard the fact expressed out loud.

"Let's be honest, James probably would have done the same thing if he thought it would protect you," she added.

"I am an adult, Harry is a child," James stated firmly. "Moreover, he is my child. He should not be trying to protect the adults around him, he should be allowing them to help him." James couldn't deny that a lot of his annoyance was fuelled by the fact that he had always wanted Harry to have a safe childhood, comfortable in the fact that his parents, godfather and honorary uncles would do whatever it took to keep him safe and happy. As proud as he was of Harry's protective personality, he did not like the idea of his child putting everyone elses needs before his own, especially because Sirius' letter seemed to hint that there was possible danger.

He had to push away the discomfiting thought that it was a possibility that one of Harry's 'honorary uncles' had caused the very situation his son now found himself in.

**He then climbed out of the portrait hole, up through the silent castle (held up only briefly by Peeves, who tried to overturn a large vase on him halfway along the fourth-floor corridor), **

"That sounds dangerous," Lily exclaimed, looking at them wide-eyed, thinking of one of the giant vases Hogwarts boasted falling on top of her baby.

"Don't worry, Lils," James assured her, though he couldn't deny the flash of protectiveness he had felt. "Peeves knows that the one thing that would get him kicked out by Dumbledore would be harming a student."

"Yes, didn't you noticed that despite everything Peeves gets up to, no student has ever ended up in the hospital wing?" Remus contributed. The Marauders had noticed that very anomaly, and had taken advantage of it during their Hogwarts years.

**finally arriving at the Owlery, which was situated at the top of West Tower.**

"Has to be far away from all the students," Sirius mentioned idly. "I mean, can you imagine the racket?"

**The Owlery was a circular stone room, rather cold and drafty, because none of the windows had glass in them. The floor was entirely covered in straw, owl droppings, and the regurgitated skeletons of mice and voles. Hundreds upon hundreds of owls of every breed imaginable were nestled here on perches that rose right up to the top of the tower, **

"All of those owls there together are an impressive sight," Remus stated wistfully. He had always wanted an owl, but his parents insisted that he would be fine sharing the family tawny owl. There was also a part of him that harboured the dark thought of what might happen to a pet of his during the full moon.

"I prefer the sight of all those owls flying into the Great Hall when the post arrives," Lily responded. "Far more impressive when there are no droppings or regurgitated skeletons." Having seen the owlery in her first year, she had changed her mind about wanting the unusual pet and had instead asked her parents for a cat on her next birthday.

**nearly all of them asleep, though here and there a round amber eye glared at Harry. He spotted Hedwig nestled between a barn owl and a tawny, and hurried over to her, sliding a little on the dropping-strewn floor.**

"Ugh," Lily shivered at the thought. James coughed slightly to hide his amused look. Sirius and Remus did no such thing.

**It took him a while to persuade her to wake up and then to look at him, as she kept shuffling around on her perch, showing him her tail. She was evidently still furious about his lack of gratitude the previous night. **

"Is that normal?" Lily asked, bemused. She had always used her best friends barn owl to send letters to her parents, and Mary had always taken her letters to the older barn owl. In her seven years at Hogwarts, her only real interaction with the owls had been getting her letter in return in the Great Hall. Now that she was married, James usually took care of ensuring that their post went out. In all her sparse interactions with the clever animals, she had never seen or heard of an owl with such a personality that the book was describing.

"Definitely not," James answered, sounding amused.

**In the end, it was Harry suggesting she might be too tired, and that perhaps he would ask Ron to borrow Pigwidgeon, that made her stick out her leg and allow him to tie the letter to it.**

"That owl certainly is proud, isn't she," Sirius said, snickering.

Remus nodded in agreement and added thoughtfully, "It doesn't seem like she's a normal pet. She seems very in tune with him."

"**Just find him, all right?" Harry said, stroking her back as he carried her on his arm to one of the holes in the wall. "Before the Dementors do."**

Sirius shivered at the thought. Although he knew that he would never not come to Harry if he thought something was afoot, he couldn't help but wonder what was going through his future selfs head as he returned to Britain, a country which apparently was quite dangerous for him. He doubted that he would find out – even if Harry were to ask, he knew himself well enough to know that he would never burden the child with a truthful answer to that particular question. _Provided Azkaban didn't change me, _Sirius mused, frowning as the dark thought crossed his mind. _It didn't. It couldn't. _

James frowned; in his frustration at Harry's attempt to circumvent help, he had overlooked the main reason behind it. Although he had known that Harry was trying to protect Sirius, that statement made him realise the extent to which Harry truly was frightened of Sirius getting caught. It made him wonder – and worry – about just what would happen to his best friend in the not-too-distance future. _A possible future. It's not yet set in stone. I refuse to believe its set in stone._ He chanced a glance over at Sirius, and noticed his wife was doing the same, though she was attempting to mask the worried look on her face.

**She nipped his finger, perhaps rather harder than she would ordinarily have done, but hooted softly in a reassuring sort of way all the same. **

"Definitely not a normal animal," Sirius said, trying to get his mind off Azkaban and Dementors.

Remus glanced at him before continuing reading. He was also worried about his friend – both the current and future versions of him. Although he certainly did not like the thought of Harry lying to his family in an attempt to avoid their health, he perhaps understood the reasoning behind it the most. It seemed that Britain was not safe for his friend. He could only imagine the havoc the dementors had wrought on his friends countenance, and he certainly did not want to entertain the thought of his clever and vibrant friend returning to the dreaded prison.

**Then she spread her wings and took off into the sunrise. Harry watched her fly out of sight with the familiar feeling of unease back in his stomach. He had been so sure that Sirius's reply would alleviate his worries rather than increasing them.**

Sirius winced slightly at that, it was certainly the last thing he ever wanted his godson to think about him. He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts by a sharp kick against his shin. He looked up to see James glaring at him as though he could hear his thoughts.

**"That was a lie, Harry," said Hermione sharply over breakfast, when he told her and Ron what he had done. "You didn't imagine your scar hurting and you know it."**

"At least it looks like Hermione's got her head screwed on straight," Lily stated approvingly.

"Yeah, but that's not exactly what you want to hear from your best friend," Sirius mentioned fairly.

"Doesn't change the fact that somebody has to do it," Remus declared in a long-suffering tone of voice.

"Yes, I don't even want to imagine what you lot would have been like at school without Remus there to rein you in occasionally," Lily added.

"Trust me, love, Remus was hardly an angel," James told her wryly.

"Of course not. But I certainly drew the line earlier than you two did," Remus countered smoothly.

"I suppose that is true," Sirius acknowledged somewhat grudgingly.

"**So what?" said Harry. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of me."**

"Did I miss the part where I am no longer an adult and capable of making my own decisions?" Sirius asked in a suffering tone of voice.

"Not unless we all missed it," James muttered, hardly happy with the idea of his son holding himself accountable for Sirius' decisions. It ought to be the other way around.

"**Drop it," said Ron sharply to Hermione as she opened her mouth to argue some more, and for once, Hermione heeded him, and fell silent.**

**Harry did his best not to worry about Sirius over the next couple of weeks. **

"Couple of weeks," Sirius repeated slowly, not liking the sound of that.

"From the sounds of it you were quite far away," Remus pointed out calmly, masking his own slight worry. "It would make sense that it would take you a while to get there. And if you are as worried as the letter made you seem I'm sure you're avoiding stopping as much as possible."

"True," Sirius admitted.

**True, he could not stop himself from looking anxiously around every morning when the post owls arrived, nor, late at night before he went to sleep, prevent himself from seeing horrible visions of Sirius, cornered by Dementors down some dark London street, **

"What do you think I got framed for?" Sirius asked curiously, trying to stop himself from imagining those very same visions, or thinking about the distress he was causing his godson. "Was it mentioned at the beginning? Because it doesn't exactly sound simple."

"I don't think so," Lily replied, furrowing her brow as she tried to recall it. Truth be told, it was difficult to remember things from the beginning of the book as a lot of the information was overshadowed by her reaction to finding out about her premature death.

"I was wondering the same thing," Remus admitted, looking discomfited at the description of Harry's nightmares. "It certainly appears as though they really want to catch you and seemingly have no qualms about how they do it."

"Harry's probably so worried that he's over-exaggerating things," James pointed out, hoping he sounded confident in that statement. He had been thinking the same thing. Hearing how it was affecting his son, he found that he couldn't blame Harry for wanting to keep Sirius far away from such a scenario. Especially considering the fact that Harry had already lost his parents to dark magic – he was probably terrified of the same thing happening to his godfather. James hoped no one noticed him blinking away tears as he watched his tiny little miracle play with his stuffed animals.

**but between times he tried to keep his mind off his godfather. **

"Good boy," Sirius murmured.

**He wished he still had Quidditch to distract him; nothing worked so well on a troubled mind as a good, hard training session. **

"What was that for?" James cried out as Sirius threw a small pillow at him right after Remus paused in his reading for a moment.

"You're meant to show off to Lily about the importance of Quidditch, Prongs" Sirius said pointedly, locking eyes with his best friend.

James gave a half-smile, knowing that what Sirius truly wanted was for them to stop dwelling on whatever was going on with his future self. He rubbed his wifes shoulder with the arm that was around her and said to her, "I told you that Quidditch is important."

Lily just smiled at him in return, and Remus and Sirius seemed to be satisfied that at least one thing remained normal.

**On the other hand, their lessons were becoming more difficult and demanding than ever before, **

"Just wait until OWL year," Sirius groaned in remembrance.

**particularly Moody's Defense Against the Dark Arts.**

**To their surprise, Professor Moody had announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each of them in turn, **

"Excuse me?" Lily shrieked, sitting up in shock.

Remus looked at the book, positive that he had read the book incorrectly but it was still there, in black and white.

Harry had jerked up at the noise and stared at his mummy in surprise. He turned to look at his daddy, but James was just gaping at the book, seemingly frozen. Harry started to whine, ready for a full blown cry at a moments notice.

"Wha – bu – how..." Sirius sputtered, completely uncharacteristically. He could honestly find no words to describe the utter shock he was feeling.

"Surely he can't do that," Lily exclaimed firmly, shaking her head in denial.

"He shouldn't be able to," James said darkly in a voice thick with anger.

Remus growled in agreement, his eyes angrily narrowed down at the book. He found his anger climbing not only at Moody but also at himself. Where the hell was he, why was he not making sure that Harry was alright and safe? His frustration could be heard as he continued reading, deciding that powering through this section was the best option.

**to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.**

"**But - but you said it's illegal, Professor," said Hermione uncertainly **

"Oh, it most certainly is," Lily muttered furiously, clenching her hands.

Harry stared at her for a moment and then finally gave in to his fear and uncertainty and started wailing. Lily started and then turned to her son.

James immediately stood up and picked up the crying child, bringing him over to the couch with his parents.

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry," Lily cooed, tickling Harry slightly with her fingers. Harry leaned against his Daddy's chest and stared at her with large wet eyes, not stopping his crying. "Mummy is just angry at a grizzly old bear."

"Sh, love, you're alright," James murmured into his sons hair, kissing and rocking the small baby.

"Here," Remus said quietly to Lily, passing her Harry's favourite stuffed toy. Countless dinners and nights spent at the Potters meant he knew all the normal routes to getting Harry calmed down.

Sirius, of course, also knew many methods and when he spotted Harry's pacifier lying on the cabinet next to him, he immediately grabbed it and tapped it with his wand to properly sterilise it.

"There you are, Bambi," he said in a soft voice, leaning forward to put it within range of Harry's mouth. Harry immediately grabbed it and started sucking, calming down significantly.

James threw his best friend a thankful look; they all knew that Harry considered his pacifier almost like a security blanket of sorts, and was always calmer when it was nearby.

When Harry's cries had faded to small sniffles, James nodded to Remus to indicate that he could continue reading. Harry remained on his lap, leaning against him tiredly, still clutching his stuffed toy closely. Lily settled down, also leaning against James and using one hand to pat her sons back soothingly.

**as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said - to use it against another human was -"**

"**Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," said Moody, his magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare.**

"Then perhaps Dumbledore has been given a little too much leeway," Remus stated, intentionally keeping his tone of voice light so as not to alarm the rooms smallest occupant.

"Never thought I would consider that a bad thing," James declared, making Lily and Sirius nod in agreement.

** "If you'd rather learn the hard way - when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely - fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." **

"Alright, that is a fair enough statement for trainee Aurors or hel-heck, even for Order members but they are fourteen," Sirius said indignantly, wondering what had happened to the Auror that had trained him.

James nodded in agreement, fire in his eyes as he replied, "Maybe I could have rationalised his showing them the Unforgivables given enough time. But this is ridiculous. He's putting children under one of the worst curses our society has to offer."

"There is definitely no rationalisation for that," Lily agreed firmly.

**He pointed one gnarled finger toward the door. Hermione went very pink and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave. Harry and Ron grinned at each other. They knew Hermione would rather eat bubotuber pus than miss such an important lesson.**

"See, they're too young to even properly understand the implications of such a lesson," Lily pointed out helplessly, wishing that she could be there.

Remus nodded thoughtfully and added, "Even Hermione doesn't seem to truly understand, her only objection was that it was illegal."

**Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them. Harry watched as, one by one, his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. **

"He's doing the same thing he was with the spiders," Remus pointed out exasperatedly. "He's making it seem humourous."

"It's a little different in this setting, though," Sirius admitted reluctantly, having gone through a similar situation during his Auror training but not particularly wanting to defend Moody in this particular situation. "By making them do things so completely far away from what they would normally be willing to do, it shows just how deeply the curse ensnares its victim."

"Besides, even Moody wouldn't dare make them do anything that would showcase the more dangerous side of the curse," Lily pointed out, shuddering as images of students attacking each other unwillingly flashed through her brain.

"That is a very good point," Remus acknowledged.

**Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.**

"Not to sound like a broken record, but they are fourteen," Sirius reiterated with a sigh.

"Honestly, what's the point of it?" Lily asked hopelessly. "I think they got the point just fine in the previous lesson."

"It is a good thing to learn as an Auror," James told her, rhythmically smoothing Harry's hair back gently. "Experiencing the relentless grip the curse can have on you is extremely different to seeing or hearing about it. But it's certainly not something children need to have cast on them."

"**Potter," Moody growled, "you next."**

"I swear, when I see that man next..." Lily trailed off.

**Harry moved forward into the middle of the classroom, into the space that Moody had cleared of desks. Moody raised his wand, pointed it at Harry, and said, "Imperio!"**

James had to refrain from growling as he tightened his hold on Harry, as though wanting to protect him from that curse through space and time.

Sirius and Remus were staring at Harry almost as if they were ensuring the child was truly safe and with them.

**It was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. **

"That is a bit of a creepy description," Lily said, looking both disturbed and tense.

"Unfortunately, it's a very accurate description," Sirius told her bitterly.

**He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, **

"That's almost worse than just feeling completely empty," Remus mused, trying to disassociate himself from the situation, as was his habit when things got too difficult to bear. It wasn't working, and perhaps it was partly because Remus was wondering whether that was what he had done when Lily and James were killed. It was a possible reason as to why it appeared that he and Harry were nowhere near as close as Harry and Sirius.

**only dimly aware of everyone watching him.**

**And then he heard Mad-Eye Moody's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of his empty brain: Jump onto the desk… jump onto the desk…**

"He still seems quite aware," Remus pointed out thoughtfully. Sirius nodded in agreement, having been thinking the same thing.

"He might be like you," Sirius said to James, remembering their training sessions with the Imperius. James seemed to have a natural affinity for resisting the curse, though it had taken him a fair few tries to actually throw it off. Sirius had had to work significantly harder in order to achieve that goal.

**Harry bent his knees obediently, preparing to spring.**

**Jump onto the desk…**

**Why, though? Another voice had awoken in the back of his brain. **

James sat up quickly, still clutching Harry so that the child wasn't too jostled by the sudden movement.

"It took me a lot of concentration to get that little 'voice'," said Sirius, sounding quite impressed.

"Mine appeared naturally, but not until the second or third time," James revealed, his brow furrowed.

**Stupid thing to do, really, said the voice.**

**Jump onto the desk…**

**No, I don't think I will, thanks, said the other voice, **

"Is that what it's like?" Lily asked, bemused despite herself. "An argument inside your head?"

"Not necessarily," James answered slowly, his own experience being slightly different.

"Mm, I don't think I've really argued against the intruder," Sirius added. "But I can see how that would work. Although I don't think I'd be nearly as polite as our little Harry is."

**a little more firmly… no, I don't really want to.**

**Jump! NOW!**

**The next thing Harry felt was considerable pain. **

"What? Why?" Lily demanded sharply, remembering not to raise her voice this time.

"If all Moody asked is for Harry to jump onto the desk, that shouldn't cause pain," James said tensely, wanting to know why his son was hurting.

"Breaking it wouldn't cause pain either," Remus added before continuing with the story.

**He had both jumped and tried to prevent himself from jumping - the result was that he'd smashed headlong into the desk knocking it over, and, by the feeling in his legs, fractured both his kneecaps.**

"Then he should go to the Hospital Wing," Lily stated immediately.

Sirius was about to tease her about her overprotective tendencies towards a future version of her child before he noticed that James was fervently nodding in agreement.

"**Now, that's more like it!" growled Moody's voice, and suddenly, Harry felt the empty, echoing feeling in his head disappear. **

"Wait a second, I just realised," James comprehended, sharing a startled glance with them.

"Harry almost beat it," Remus completed his train of thought, a proud gleam in his eyes.

"Look at that," Sirius said proudly, "my little Bambi came very close to beating the Imperius Curse straight away."

"He shouldn't have had to," Lily countered rebelliously, still not at all happy with the situation.

"That doesn't mean we can't be proud," James retaliated, a grin slowly starting to form on his face. Although he was hardly pleased with the situation either, that didn't mean it wasn't an impressive feat.

**He remembered exactly what was happening, and the pain in his knees seemed to double.**

"Hospital Wing," Lily reiterated, shaking her head with a frown. She didn't care how impressive it was that Harry nearly beat the Imperius Curse – she just wanted to make sure he was alright.

"**Look at that, you lot… Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, **

"What?" James asked sharply, bouncing Harry slightly so he didn't get scared of the tone. "You already insisted on putting it on him once, you idiot, now let him go! He needs the hospital wing."

"While I doubt his kneecaps are actually fractured, which would negate the need for the hospital wing, there certainly is no reason to put him under again," Remus said, wondering why Moody seemed so insistent on teaching them this particular curse.

"There was no reason to put him under in the first place," Lily snapped at him in response, completely fed up with the situation.

**and the rest of you, pay attention - watch his eyes, that's where you see it - very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!"**

"Maybe the Ministry is actually right for once and Moody has gone senile," Sirius said grimly. "He certainly seems to have difficulty telling the difference between a classroom full of children and a room full of trainee Aurors."

James snorted in agreement, not wanting to open his mouth because he knew that he would be too tempted to rant and rave.

"**The way he talks," Harry muttered as he hobbled out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class an hour later **

Lily mumbled under her breath while next to her, her husband adopted a decidedly unhappy look.

**(Moody had insisted on putting Harry through his paces four times in a row, until Harry could throw off the curse entirely), **

"I think I'm going to need someone to hold me back from attacking Moody at the next Order meeting," James, his face set in a firm frown.

"Don't look at me mate," Sirius retorted, "I'd be too tempted to let you at him."

"As would I," Remus contributed, unable to help himself from glaring at the book. Though he knew, as did the rest of them, that this was occurring at some point in the future, they still found that it felt all too real for them.

**"you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."**

"To be fair, there are times when I think that would be all too likely," Remus mentioned darkly.

"Yes, but apparently those days have been over for years," Lily pointed out. "Besides which, we did go to Hogwarts during this time, and we certainly weren't taught that sort of thing so early!"

"**Yeah, I know," said Ron, who was skipping on every alternate step. **

"Depending on what he made them do, those after-effects can be quite dangerous," Remus pointed out thoughtfully.

"That all should have been checked over by Pomfrey," James declared, still glaring at the book. "Even we had a Mediwizard on hand when we went through this exercise.

**He had had much more difficulty with the curse than Harry, **

"Most people do," Sirius acknowledged. "Harry's natural ability for it is really very impressive."

"Well, I have been telling you all along that my boy is a genius," James said proudly, affection for his son bursting through his anger at Moody.

**though Moody assured him the effects would wear off by lunchtime. **

"I'd call him irresponsible, but then again he is the one who cast the Imperius Curse on a class of fourteen-year-olds," Lily said, her voice heavily laced with sarcasm.

James threw a half smile at her; normally he loved it when Lily showed her fiery nature but unfortunately the reason behind it was hardly the best.

**"Talk about paranoid…" Ron glanced nervously over his shoulder to check that Moody was definitely out of earshot and went on. **

"Sounds like he's making it spread," Sirius noted wryly, shaking his head.

"I think he did that to us too, remember when we went out after training that one day?" James reminisced, shaking his head as he remembered what had transpired as a result of their own heightened paranoia.

Remus snickered in agreement, having heard that particular story at the bar not long after. At Lily's raised eyebrow, he continued to read, knowing that it probably was not a story his best friend wanted his wife to hear.

**"No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools' Day? **

"He's still telling that story?" James asked incredulously. "Maybe he's become obsessed with the ol' glory days," he added, his tongue sharper than usual due to the preceding events.

**And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we've got to do?"**

"Well, you do go to a magical school to learn, so you are expected to find the time to do your work," Lily mentioned, trying to allow her mood to lighten. As much as she detested it, she unfortunately could not do anything about the situation her Harry had found himself in and she just had to hope that she wouldn't be forced to read through anything else like that.

Unfortunately, Lily had never been good at letting things go.

**All the fourth years had noticed a definite increase in the amount of work they were required to do this term. **

"It's because they worry that the fourth-year students will go crazy and just slack off before they have to worry about OWL's, and so they try to stop it before it happens," James declared. "What?" he defended against his wifes look.

"Actually I was just thinking that that makes an awful lot of sense," Lily admitted, shaking her head. She smiled as she wondered whether her marriage to a Marauder had made her susceptible to these kinds of ideas.

**Professor McGonagall explained why, when the class gave a particularly loud groan at the amount of Transfiguration homework she had assigned.**

"You want to be careful when you're doing that, sometimes she'll just assign more out of sheer annoyance," Sirius warned, grinning at the looks he got from his three friends.

"Yes, you would know that, wouldn't you," Remus responded a little irritably as he remembered their own fourth year, when Sirius had made it his mission to find out exactly where McGonagall drew the line when it came to whinging. He had, unfortunately, succeeded spectacularly.

"**You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" she told them, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer —"**

"Don't you hate it how they try to pressure you about it so early?" Lily sighed, thinking back to her own school years.

"Were you actually stressed about it, then, though?" James asked curiously, smiling when she just gave him a sheepish look in response. "I love you, Flower."

"**We don't take O.W.L.s till fifth year!" said Dean Thomas indignantly.**

"**Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! **

"Oh, ouch, she's getting harsh," Sirius said sympathetically, wincing as his own memories of the heads acerbic tongue washed over him.

**Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. **

"I always felt so horrible doing something like that," Lily mentioned idly. "Those poor animals."

"But making them fly around or taking away their voices is better?" James teased, referring to her love of Charms.

"At least they're still an animal," Lily countered.

Remus continued before James could retaliate again, already well versed in this argument that Lily and James seemed to enjoy having fairly often.

**I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"**

"Not really what you want from a pin cushion," Remus quipped with a grin.

**Hermione, who had turned rather pink again, seemed to be trying not to look too pleased with herself.**

"Better than some people," Lily grumbled to James, who used to drive her insane with his penchant of showing people how he completed his transfiguration quickly and accurately.

James shrugged innocently as Sirius laughed, knowing that he had done the same, though he did not have quite the same affinity as James.

**Harry and Ron were deeply amused when Professor Trelawney told them that they had received top marks for their homework in their next Divination class. **

"Sorry?" Lily asked incredulously. "Are we sure that we read the same predictions?"

"So much for immediately knowing that they were fake," Remus said, a little bemused.

"I don't like her," James said obstinately, cuddling his son close.

"No, I don't think I do either," Lily added.

"At least Harry knows not to take her too seriously," Sirius pointed out optimistically. He sighed at the looks he got from his friends and admitted, "Yeah, I didn't think that was a great up-side either."

**She read out large portions of their predictions, commending them for their unflinching acceptance of the horrors in store for them - but they were less amused when she asked them to do the same thing for the month after next; **

"Extra homework for doing well. There is no justice," Sirius sighed shaking his head. He was determined to find something light or humourous in this chapter to dispel the tension that had permeated the room when they had read about the Imperius Curse.

**both of them were running out of ideas for catastrophes.**

**Meanwhile Professor Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic, had them writing weekly essays on the goblin rebellions of the eighteenth century. **

"Considering that there is generally only one section of the OWL exam on goblin rebellions _that _is utterly useless," Remus stated flatly, still bitter that he had studied so much about the rebellions only to find most of his knowledge superfluous.

"I wonder what caused Binns to develop such an obsession about goblin rebellions," Lily mused out loud.

**Professor Snape was forcing them to research antidotes. They took this one seriously, as he had hinted that he might be poisoning one of them before Christmas to see if their antidote worked.**

Lily frowned, incredibly upset at hearing this but not even wanting to speak about her childhood friend who had apparently sunk so low.

"Honestly, what is it with the Hogwarts teachers that year?" Sirius snarled in anger, incredibly annoyed that Moody was apparently not the only teacher willing to put his students at such risk.

"Maybe it's just an empty bluff," Remus suggested weakly, though it would still hardly be good for the students to hear such a thing even if it was a bluff. Especially considering the fact that it looked like some of them actually believed him.

James did not say anything, though he certainly wanted to rant when he heard that. There was a part of him that felt like a horrible parent, knowing that Snape's treatment of his son was partly a result of his own adolescent behaviour. But there was another part of him that held a rising anger towards Snape for taking out his bitterness on an entire group of innocent children.

**Professor Flitwick had asked them to read three extra books in preparation for their lesson on Summoning Charms.**

"One of the most useful charms ever invented," Remus offered, wanting to get their minds off Snape. He knew nothing good could come from that train of thought.

**Even Hagrid was adding to their workload. **

"Well, he is a teacher now," Lily recalled fondly, still slightly bemused at the thought.

**The Blast-Ended Skrewts were growing at a remarkable pace given that nobody had yet discovered what they ate. **

"I'm sure the students are thrilled," Remus said with his characteristic light sarcasm.

**Hagrid was delighted, and as part of their "project," suggested that they come down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behavior.**

"That is not the kind of extra work I approve of," Lily said, shuddering at the thought. "I love Hagrid but those creatures creep me out, and I do not want Harry anywhere near them."

"I couldn't agree more," said James. As much as he liked Hagrid, he knew the gamekeeper sometimes didn't realise how much weaker people were in comparison to him and so did not always adequately realise the danger of some creatures.

"**I will not," said Draco Malfoy flatly when Hagrid had proposed this with the air of Father Christmas pulling an extra-large toy out of his sack. **

"No, I think I prefer it when Santa comes with a new broom," James quipped, shaking his head in fond exasperation at his friend.

**"I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."**

"Although I agree with the sentiment, he didn't have to phrase it so rudely," Remus said disapprovingly.

"Already a teacher, Moony," Sirius claimed with a smirk on his face.

Although he knew that his friend was only teasing him, Remus couldn't help but flush slightly in pleasure at the thought.

**Hagrid's smile faded off his face.**

"**Yeh'll do wha' yer told," he growled, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book… I hear yeh made a good ferret, Malfoy."**

The remaining tension finally dissipated as they all laughed in remembrance of that particular moment.

Harry looked at them all curiously, still sucking on his pacifier. Seeing his family finally acting normally, he relaxed and loosened the tight grip he still had on his stuffed toy in one hand, and his Daddy's fingers in the other. He even let out a childish giggle, which caused his family to grin at him in return.

**The Gryffindors roared with laughter. Malfoy flushed with anger, but apparently the memory of Moody's punishment was still sufficiently painful to stop him from retorting. **

"Well, as much as it is incorrect to transfigure a student as punishment, at least it seems to have a greater effect than detention," Remus pointed out, his lips twitching.

"I reckon that it would have made me think twice," James declared, Sirius nodding in agreement with his statement.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the castle at the end of the lesson in high spirits; seeing Hagrid put down Malfoy was particularly satisfying, especially because Malfoy had done his very best to get Hagrid sacked the previous year.**

"What a horrible thing to do!" Lily exclaimed indignantly, glaring at the book. "Hagrid's wanted something like that for years, how dare he try to take it away!"

"Lucius and Narcissa's spawn is a spoiled little brat. What a surprise," Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes.

James nodded in agreement and added, "Hagrid might need a little more information on what people younger and smaller than him can handle, but that's no reason to try and take away his job."

**When they arrived in the entrance hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. **

"Why wouldn't they just put individual signs up in the common rooms? That's what they normally do," Lily said, looking at the book strangely.

"Perhaps they want to stress the importance of it?" Remus offered, shrugging his shoulders.

"It probably does have something to do with the tournament," Sirius concurred, nodding his head.

**Ron, the tallest of the three, stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of them and read the sign aloud to the other two:**

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

**THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL END HALF AN HOUR EARLY –**

"**Brilliant!" said Harry. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"**

"I don't know whether to say that that's good or whether to just be appalled that my fourteen-year-old is even saying such a thing," James muttered bitterly.

**STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE THE WELCOMING FEAST.**

"I can't believe they're having the entire school great the entourages," Sirius said, shaking his head in amusement. "They must really want to make a good impression."

"Well, Hogwarts does have a reputation to maintain," Lily pointed out.

"Nah, they just want to show off," James contributed with a grin.

"**Only a week away!" said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him…"**

"**Cedric?" said Ron blankly as Ernie hurried off.**

"**Diggory," said Harry. "He must be entering the tournament."**

"Ah, makes sense," Lily nodded.

"He's the one who beat Harry at Quidditch and then showed off about it," James recalled, frowning at the thought. "I don't think I like him much."

"His father was the one who bragged about it," Lily pointed with a roll of her eyes. "I thought Cedric sounded like a perfectly nice boy.

"Besides, mate, you would have done the same thing if Harry had been the one to win," Sirius told him with a grin. "You already do that, and the kids barely one!"

James shrugged, not even bothering to look sheepish. So he was proud of his son, there was nothing wrong with that. He would like to think that he wouldn't brag about his sons achievements in front of the person that he had beaten, though. That crossed a line into annoying and arrogant behaviour.

**"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" said Ron as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the staircase.**

"Now that's exactly the kind of thing a best mate should say," James stated approvingly. Lily just smiled at him fondly, not even bothering with a response.

"**He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," said Hermione. **

"It's nice to see that one of your friends has their head screwed on straight," Lily whispered into Harrys ear, grinning at James' mock outraged look.

**"I've heard he's a really good student - and he's a prefect."**

**She spoke as though this settled the matter.**

"It does settle it," Sirius stated matter-of-factly. "It settles the fact that he's an idiot."

"Oi, I was a Prefect," Remus retorted indignantly, glaring at his friend.

"So was I," Lily contributed.

"And I was Head Boy," James pointed out, also indignantly.

"Well, no one could accuse you of being an idiot, Flower," Sirius said to Lily, soothing her ruffled feathers. "But you have to admit it hold true for these two." He dodged the pillows thrown at him by his two irate friends, grinning at Harry when the baby laughed at the sight.

"**You only like him because he's handsome," said Ron scathingly.**

"Why do men automatically assume that?" Lily asked huffily, rolling her eyes.

"Because we get very, very jealous," James said to her, putting his arm around her and bringing her closer. Lily smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek.

"**Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" said Hermione indignantly.**

"You tell them, Hermione," Lily encouraged approvingly. "Us women don't necessarily go gaga over men just because of their looks."

"No, just their smooth talking," Sirius said to Remus in an undertone, making the werewolf quickly continue reading to hide his snicker.

**Ron gave a loud false cough, which sounded oddly like "Lockhart!"**

"Huh?" James asked blankly, wondering what on earth that was about.

"It's probably just someone they knew in the past," Remus rationalised simply.

"Although it makes it seem as though Hermione has fallen for a pretty face before," Sirius noted with a small smile.

**The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle. During the following week, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation, no matter where Harry went: the Triwizard Tournament.**

"You gotta love the single-mindedness of the Hogwarts population," Sirius stated, shaking his head in fond remembrance.

"No, you really don't," Lily countered, having had some bad experiences with the Hogwarts rumour mill.

"Can you imagine," Remus wondered aloud, also being none too fond of the rumours that could spread like wild-fire inside the castle. "It's a whole new subject as fodder for gossip."

"Well, something had to take the place of Quidditch," James grumbled, still slightly sore about the cancellation of his favourite sport. Although he knew that Harry was a brilliant flier, he still would have loved to hear about it.

**Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves. **

"You know, on the rare occasion that Petunia and I got along when the topic of Hogwarts came up, I'd tell her about some of rumours going around," Lily reminisced, a small smile lighting up on her face. "She always loved her gossip, so I think she quite liked the idea."

Her smile quickly faded into a sad look as she looked at her son, remembering the damage her sister had wrought on her precious little boy. James followed her train of thought and rubbed her arm soothingly, motioning discreetly to Remus at the same time so that he would continue reading.

**Harry noticed too that the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning. Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces. **

"Really want to impress these delegations," Sirius said, thoroughly amused.

"Those poor portraits," Lily said, her lips twitching as she thankfully stopped dwelling on her sister and her pathetic husband.

**The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking, **

"Ah, come on, leaving them darker and little grimy gives them character," James stated amusedly.

"Mm, I always thought it made them seem like they had a story behind them," Lily agreed, remembering the wonder she had felt during her first year when she realised the scores of suits of armour that pervaded the castle. Being a fairly logical and studious young girl, she had always thought there had to be a reason behind them being there, and had always been interested in the stories she was sure they held.

**and Argus Filch, the caretaker, was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics. **

"Don't think that's really any different," Remus sighed, remembering all of their escapades with the grouchy caretaker.

"Although Dumbledore really ought to stop him from traumatising the poor girls," Lily mentioned, frowning.

James nodded in agreement, surprising even himself with the thought. He'd never really given much thought to the way the caretaker treated the students except for the fact, of course, that he and his friends had all hated him and had taken every opportunity to get back at the temperamental man. It was amazing what becoming a parent had done to his perception.

**Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too.**

"**Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" Professor McGonagall barked at the end of one particularly difficult lesson, during which Neville had accidentally transplanted his own ears onto a cactus. **

"Switching spells aren't that simple," Lily pointed out, upset at the treatment of Neville.

"She must be really stressed out," James responded, also with a light frown. "Mind you, an accident like that isn't exactly common."

"Well, perhaps Neville is also stressed from all the pressure the teachers are probably heaping on them," Lily retaliated, a little sharper than she intended.

**When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. **

"I wonder why they don't just have them up all the time," Lily mused out loud. "That must look fantastic."

"Maybe because then they'd have to come up with something different on special occasions?" Sirius offered jokingly.

**Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.**

"It's been a long time since that was true in practice," Remus murmured philosophically, referring to the notorious inter-house feuding.

"I wonder if the teachers will actually crack down on the house rivalries," Lily stated suddenly. "I mean, that can't portray a good image."

"They already do crack down on it," Sirius pointed out.

"Not nearly enough and you know it," Remus countered. "Unless it gets out of hand, they do let a lot of it slide."

"Competition is healthy for children," James acknowledged. "But, looking back, I do agree that they did sometimes let us get out of hand."

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down beside Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. Once again, and most unusually, they were sitting apart from everyone else and conversing in low voices. **

"Plotting?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Or maybe something's happened," James offered. "It's not like we can really tell – we don't know them that well."

"Pity," Sirius remarked, "they sound exactly like the kind of people we'd get along with."

**Ron led the way over to them.**

"**It's a bummer, all right," George was saying gloomily to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."**

"Sounds like something is wrong," Sirius said, intrigued. He honestly did like the twins, and hoped that there was nothing really bad going on.

"But if they're anything like you lot, they'll be perfectly proficient in getting the attention of people that are trying to avoid them," Lily remarked dryly. She had to fight back her smile as she remembered the many creative ways James and his friends had used to get her attention.

"**Who's avoiding you?" said Ron, sitting down next to them.**

"**Wish you would," said Fred, looking irritated at the interruption.**

"**What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.**

"**Having a nosy git like you for a brother," said George.**

"Deflection. An art every prankster is gifted in," Remus quipped.

"**You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"**

"He better not be fishing for ways to enter," Lily commented, her heart beat increasing at the mere thought of her child being put in such a dangerous situation.

"I don't think so," Remus responded, adding, "He didn't really seem all that interested in actually trying to find a way to enter, and I'm sure it would have been mentioned by now if he was thinking about it."

"And it hasn't been, beyond that little fantasy with Cho watching him winning of course," Sirius contributed mischievously, making them all laugh.

"You're going to tease my poor kid mercilessly, aren't you," James said fondly, eyes twinkling as he shook his head fondly at his best friend.

Sirius just shrugged in response, not saying what they both knew – that he would naturally tease his godson, but would never let it get far enough that the child wouldn't be willing to come talk to him about everything.

"**I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling," said George bitterly. **

"Narrows the amount of time they have to plan a way around the protections," Remus commented. "Smart."

"Somehow, I'm guessing it still isn't going to stop them," Lily said, amused.

"And nor should it," Sirius stated, shrugging. "It should be interesting to see them try to get around whatever it is anyway."

"So long as Harry isn't involved in trying to get in," James added firmly.

"So long as Harry isn't involved," Sirius reiterated, agreeing whole-heartedly that the child had no place in such a dangerous tournament.

**"She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."**

"**Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" said Ron thoughtfully. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. **

"But you won't," James stated firmly, hugging the small baby on his lap tightly.

**We've done dangerous stuff before…"**

"What kind of dangerous stuff, exactly?" Lily asked swiftly, sounding a little dangerous herself.

"I'm sure he's just exaggerating," her husband replied, but he sounded doubtful. "Our Harry wouldn't do something like that, would you, love?" James added, kissing his son on the top of his head to try and hide just how upset he was at the thought of his child being put in dangerous situations without his parents there to protect him.

"If he's not exaggerating, then we'll have to make sure that nothing of the sort happens," Lily murmured, running her hand through her baby's hair. Harry just turned to look at his parents curiously, still innocently sucking on his pacifier.

"**Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," said Fred. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."**

"**Who are the judges?" Harry asked.**

"**Well, the Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," said Hermione, **

"Because that doesn't encourage bias at all," Sirius remarked cynically, rolling his eyes.

"Some people can be impartial," Lily remarked, nettled by his immediate assumption.

"Jamie, you married an idealist," Sirius snorted, refraining from rolling his eyes again.

"I know," James replied simply, kissing his wife fondly. "And will you cut it out with the nicknames," he added to his friend, a little irritably.

**and everyone looked around at her, rather surprised, **"**because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage."**

"A cockatrice?" Lily yelped incredulously.

"Where in the world did they even find a cockatrice?" Remus asked in disbelief. He shuddered as he remembered seeing paintings of the massive part dragon/part rooster creature legendary for its ability to kill.

"Forget competing, if those are the sort of tasks they're going to make the champions do, I'm not sure I even want Harry there as a spectator," James said, eyes wide as a shiver ran down his spine. The cockatrice had been a common feature of the horror stories he and his friends had used to scare each other when they had been very young. The idea of someone actually expecting children to catch one was horrific.

"I'm sure they wouldn't do something like that now," Sirius stated flatly, his eyes hard.

"Yes, remember, Molly said that they had employed safety measures," Remus tried to defend weakly.

"They better have," James muttered darkly, hugging his son and making the baby squirm. Harry was now completely comforted and was trying to play with his stuffed toy.

**She noticed them all looking at her and said, with her usual air of impatience that nobody else had read all the books she had, "It's all in Hogwarts, A History. **

"The cockatrice story?" Lily repeated, taken aback. "I don't remember seeing it..."

"No, nor do I," Remus said, furrowing his brow as he tried to remember.

"Don't look at us, we certainly didn't read it," Sirius snorted, gesturing to himself and James. "Maybe it just slipped your mind."

"Somehow, I think reading about a cockatrice attacking three Triwizard judges would be something I'd remember," Remus snorted, shaking his head.

"Maybe Hermione read a different edition," Lily suggested, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Remind me to take a look when we get home."

"Apparently there are several of them," Remus acknowledged.

**Though, of course, that book's not entirely reliable. A Revised History of Hogwarts would be a more accurate title. Or A Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School."**

"Do you think Hermione is bitter about something?" Sirius asked conversationally, bemused by the tirade.

"Yep. And I bet it's about house elves," Remus declared with certainty.

"Ah, yes, that would probably get her temper flowing," Lily agreed, lips twitching.

"**What are you on about?" said Ron, though Harry thought he knew what was coming.**

"**House-elves!" said Hermione, her eyes flashing. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts, A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"**

"I'm not going to restart the slavery debate again, but it is rather strange that house elves aren't mentioned in Hogwarts, A History," Remus said thoughtfully.

"They do play an integral role in ensuring that the school runs properly," James agreed.

"Yes, just imagine what the boys dormitories would look like if they didn't have the house elves to do their laundry," Lily quipped with a grin.

**Harry shook his head and applied himself to his scrambled eggs. His and Ron's lack of enthusiasm had done nothing whatsoever to curb Hermione's determination to pursue justice for house-elves.**

**True, both of them had paid two Sickles for a S.P.E.W. badge, but they had only done it to keep her quiet. **

They all had to snicker when they heard that.

"The true test of friendship is whether they're actually going to wear them." Sirius laughed as he delivered the light-hearted jibe.

**Their Sickles had been wasted, however; if anything, they seemed to have made Hermione more vociferous. **

"She really is determined isn't she," Remus commented with a fond smile, pleased that Harry had picked out such good friends for himself.

"It's a good trait; she just needs to learn to temper it a little. People aren't going to listen to her if she point blank refuses to even consider other peoples arguments," Lily said, having learned that very lesson herself as a teenager.

**She had been badgering Harry and Ron ever since, first to wear the badges, **

"Convincing two teenage boys to wear badges that say 'spew' on them," Sirius mused, trying to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," James said, grinning at the thought.

**then to persuade others to do the same, and she had also taken to rattling around the Gryffindor common room every evening, cornering people and shaking the collecting tin under their noses.**

"It's not going to make her any friends," Remus pointed out ruefully.

"She's still a child," Lily shrugged. "She just needs to learn how to go about it the best way."

"Trial and error." James sighed. "The best and worst thing about childhood."

"I think it was a very fun part of our childhood," Sirius said mischievously. He and James locked eyes and then burst out laughing as the same memories crossed their mind. Remus just shook his head at them, fighting a grin of his own.

"**You do realize that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?" she kept saying fiercely.**

"At least she's aware of some of the problems in our society," Lily pointed out. "I mean, that's more than I can say for a lot of adults."

**Some people, like Neville, had paid up just to stop Hermione from glowering at them. **

"One of perks of being so zealous," Sirius snickered.

"Sounds like she can get a little scary when she's determined," James noted, amused.

"Oh, I know that feeling," Remus said, looking at his two best friends pointedly. "At least Hermione's determination is for a good cause and won't end in detention."

"I'm sure that James and I have no idea what you're talking about," Sirius claimed loftily, winking at him.

**A few seemed mildly interested in what she had to say, but were reluctant to take a more active role in campaigning. **

"That is unfortunately very common, and not just at school," Lily said with a sigh.

Sirius nodded in agreement, adding, "If people had just paid more attention to the way the Ministry and our politics have been working over the last few decades, then perhaps this damn war might not have escalated so far."

"Yeah, well, most people aren't willing to see problems until they come up and kick them in the arse," James said bitterly. Lily hit him on the shoulder, motioning at Harry, who James still had on his lap.

**Many regarded the whole thing as a joke. Ron now rolled his eyes at the ceiling, which was flooding them all in autumn sunlight, and Fred became extremely interested in his bacon (both twins had refused to buy a S.P.E.W. badge). **

"They've both probably been down to the kitchens," James said. "If you've never seen a mistreated house-elf then it would be hard to imagine them as needing protection – they're all constantly happy."

**George, however, leaned in toward Hermione.**

"**Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?"**

"See," James said, unnecessarily because no one had argued against his previous point.

"**No, of course not," said Hermione curtly, "I hardly think students are supposed to -"**

"Is there actually a rule that says that students are not allowed in the kitchens?" Sirius asked curiously.

"All those years of sneaking down to the kitchens, and now you ask that question?" Lily asked, amused.

"Well, I don't think we were ever caught down there," Sirius replied, not looking at all sheepish.

"I actually don't think it is. Against the rules, I mean," Remus contributed. "It's not out of bounds, and so long as you're not skipping class or going after curfew, I don't think they'd punish you for being down there."

"**Well, we have," said George, indicating Fred, "loads of times, to nick food. **

"I don't think it's really nicking if they just give it to you," Lily pointed out, beating the men who were about to say something similar.

"Why Miss Evans, do my ears deceive me?" Sirius asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"I believe we just established that just going down to the kitchens is not against the rules," Lily pointed out with dignity. "And it's Mrs Potter, thank you very much."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Sirius responded with a chuckle.

**And we've met them, and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world -"**

"**That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione began hotly, **

"I can concede on the brainwashing, but calling them uneducated is going a little far," James said. "They're brilliantly clever, house elves."

**but her next few words were drowned out by the sudden whooshing noise from overhead, which announced the arrival of the post owls. Harry looked up at once, and saw Hedwig soaring toward him. **

"Looks like I've written back," Sirius murmured, clenching the pillow tightly with his hand. He wasn't even really all that sure why he got so nervous whenever his future self entered the narrative, but he did.

**Hermione stopped talking abruptly; she and Ron watched Hedwig anxiously as she fluttered down onto Harry's shoulder, folded her wings, and held out her leg wearily.**

"I guess it was a long journey," Sirius commented casually, trying not to show how much he was absorbing any and all information to do with his future self.

**Harry pulled off Sirius's reply and offered Hedwig his bacon rinds, which she ate gratefully. **

"Looks like she's no longer offended," James said in an attempt at levity. It failed miserably, perhaps because he couldn't stop himself from looking so serious. He wanted to know what future Sirius had to say. And although he knew that Sirius would not have believed Harry's previous letter, he couldn't help but worry until he got confirmation of that fact.

**Then, checking that Fred and George were safely immersed in further discussions about the Triwizard Tournament, Harry read out Sirius's letter in a whisper to Ron and Hermione.**

Although Sirius had, of course, realised the seriousness of his future situation, he still couldn't help but feel upset at the idea that Harry – one of the few people in the world he truly loved and adored – had to keep their relationship hidden.

**Nice try, Harry.**

"No, it really wasn't," James snorted, relaxing slightly into the couch now that he knew his best mate would be close by to help Harry. He suppressed the slight bitterness that it could not be him. Lily squeezed his hand, acknowledging that she knew how he felt.

**I'm back in the country and well hidden. **

They all thought 'good' in their heads, relieved that Sirius was taking precautions. None of them said it out loud, however, because they did not want to draw any more attention to the situation their best friend had ended up in.

**I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, keep changing owls, **

"Looks like all of Moody's lectures have finally sunk in," Sirius murmured jokingly, a part of him surprised at the proficiency his future self had in remaining hidden, though he knew that it had become a matter of survival for him.

**and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. **

"And for goodness sake, actually listen to that," Sirius added, drowning out James, who had just started to say the same thing.

Instead, James simply nodded and added, "It's Sirius' job to protect you, not the other way around." He bounced Harry lightly on his knew, making the small child giggle in glee.

**Don't forget what I said about your scar.**

**Sirius**

"**Why d'you have to keep changing owls?" Ron asked in a low voice.**

"Someone's bound to notice the same owl returning to the same place over and over again," Lily answered without hesitation, unable to resist replying to the question posed.

"Harry has a snowy owl as well, that would make it even worse," Remus added thoughtfully, pleased to hear that his best friend was taking appropriate precautions.

"**Hedwig'll attract too much attention," said Hermione at once. "She stands out. A snowy owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding… **

"She really is incredibly clever for a fourteen-year-old, isn't she," James marvelled. "I don't think I'd have worked it out at that age. Or at least not as quickly."

Sirius had to refrain from pointing out that James would never have been put in a situation where it would have been necessary for him to work out something like that at such a young age.

**I mean, they're not native birds, are they?"**

"No, they're not," Lily agreed, smiling at her son. "Harry really is quite lucky to have her."

"Even if she does get offended easily," James added cheekily, partly succeeding in creating some amusement in the room's occupants.

**Harry rolled up the letter and slipped it inside his robes, wondering whether he felt more or less worried than before. **

Sirius sighed, feeling upset that he had not managed to comfort Harry more.

James saw the look and contemplated whether or not he would succeed if he tried to kick the man. Deciding that the risk of dislodging Harry was too high, he instead settled for glaring heavily at his best friend. He vowed that he would talk to Sirius later on, and try to stop this habit of feeling inadequate when he had no reason to be. Although James wished he could be the one to help Harry, he had chosen Sirius to do so in his stead if needed and he couldn't deny that Sirius was doing a fine job of it. He doubted that many other godfathers would return to a country where they were being hunted just because of a rumour that their godson was in danger.

**He supposed that Sirius managing to get back without being caught was something. **

Sirius nodded in silent agreement. If there was one thing he could pull from his fairly morose future as an escaped convict it was that he was apparently quite good at dodging the ministry and dementors. Hell, he even managed to escape Azkaban! He couldn't help but feel impressed with his future self, struggling to keep from smiling at the idea. They were, after all, technically the same person. The older him just had a hell of a lot more experience_, _he thought to himself wryly.

**He couldn't deny either that the idea that Sirius was much nearer was reassuring; **

Sirius' face lit up at that, glad that the benefits far outweighed any consequences that might occur as a result of his return. Although Harry might not believe it worth it, for Sirius, Harry's feeling of safety and security was paramount and well worth any discomfort he might encounter. He was confident in thinking that his future self had the same attitude.

**at least he wouldn't have to wait so long for a response every time he wrote.**

James nodded absently; Harry was reassured with the knowledge that Sirius was nearby and James was more at ease with the knowledge that Harry was no longer feeling anxious about everything.

**"Thanks, Hedwig," he said, stroking her. She hooted sleepily, dipped her beak briefly into his goblet of orange juice, **

"I hope he doesn't drink from that goblet again," Lily mentioned idly, also smiling at the thought of her son finally feeling a little more secure.

**then took off again, clearly desperate for a good long sleep in the Owlery.**

**There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried up to Gryffindor Tower, deposited their bags and books as they had been instructed, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.**

"You know, it really is a good thing that those three are so different from you lot," Lily noted, looking around at the three of them. "I can only just imagine what you lot would have done to 'welcome' them if this had happened while we were at school."

"Well, they need a proper Hogwarts welcome, don't they?" Sirius responded cheekily, winking at her.

"It would have been fun to come up with something," James agreed, a little wistfully. There were times when he missed the jollity and simplicity of school life. But there was no way he'd trade what he had for anything in the world, he thought determinedly as he tightened his arm around both his wife and son.

**The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.**

"**Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. **

"Hey, look at that, they actually have a reason to where those damn hats," Sirius snickered, causing them all to chuckle in response. It was a longstanding joke for most Hogwarts year levels that most students rarely, if ever, wore those hats.

**"Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."**

**Parvati scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait.**

"**Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front… no pushing…"**

**They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. **

"You know, I think I'd be more freaked out than impressed if I came to a new school and just saw lines of students staring at me," Sirius mentioned, raising an eyebrow at the image the previous line had evoked.

"It would be quite intimidating," Remus agreed.

"You have to be impressed with the teachers for actually being able to organize that, though," Lily chimed in. "I mean, that's a lot of students to get organized and put into suitable lines."

**It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry, standing between Ron and Hermione in the fourth row from the front, saw Dennis Creevey **

"That was the little kid who fell into the lake, right?" Sirius asked, trying to remember.

Remus thought about it for a moment, and then nodded in confirmation.

"The really over-excitable one," Lily added with a fond smile. As an older student she had sometimes gotten irritated by the first and second years penchant for excessive excitement but now, as a mother, she couldn't wait for Harry to get to that stage. She thought it would be adorable.

**positively shivering with anticipation among the other first years.**

"**Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"**

"Not suitable for being able to show off," Sirius negated, shaking his head.

"**I doubt it," said Hermione.**

"**How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.**

"Trust a Potter man to come up with that one," Lily said, fondly smiling at her husband.

"Wouldn't exactly be a comfortable journey, not to mention an extremely long one," Remus said, his lips twitching at the innocent naiveté of his honorary nephew.

"**I don't think so… not from that far away…"**

"I'd probably do it," James admitted. "Just do it over a few days with plenty of stops in between. I reckon it would probably be fun."

"Maybe on my motorbike," Sirius responded, not fancying the idea of flying a broom for days on end.

"So you'd want to do something like a road trip," Lily suggested, sighing at the blank looks she received.

"**A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate - maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"**

"I'm pretty sure wizards don't just come of age at seventeen in Britain," Remus said. "It's international."

"Besides which, you can't apparate into Hogwarts," Lily pointed out.

"**You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" said Hermione impatiently.**

**They scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving; everything was still, silent, and quite as usual. Harry was starting to feel cold. **

"He should have put on an extra jumper," Lily fussed, hoping he wouldn't get a cold.

Sirius and Remus just laughed at her and James said to her teasingly, "You're going be hopeless when he's older, aren't you?"

Lily just looked at him pointedly and responded, "You know I never did tell – ." She was cut off by James putting his hand over her mouth to muffle the sound of her speaking. James knew she was thinking of the time that he had taken Harry out for a walk in the park wrapped up in so many layers of clothes that the poor child could barely move. Lily hadn't been able to stop laughing when she had seen them after they had gotten back, but had acquiesced when her husband begged her not to tell his best friends about his underlying fussiness.

Even though Remus was intrigued by James' light blush, he agreed to continue reading when James gestured at the book.

**He wished they'd hurry up… Maybe the foreign students were preparing a dramatic entrance… He remembered what Mr. Weasley had said back at the campsite before the Quidditch World Cup: "always the same - we can't resist showing off when we get together…"**

"See, even your son agrees with me," Sirius said to Lily triumphantly.

"We still don't know how they will actually get there," Lily pointed out. "But if its something obviously flashy, then I will concede the point."

**And then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers **

"Why are the teachers at the back?" Remus asked curiously. "Shouldn't they be at the front, ready to greet the delegations?"

"Maybe they want them to walk past the students," Lily suggested, shrugging.

"If that's the case, then they must actively be trying to intimidate them," James responded, shaking his head.

"It's probably their way of countering whatever 'impressive' method they've managed to come up with for arriving," Sirius said.

**- "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"**

"That seems to rule out most traditional methods of transportation," Sirius said, looking at Lily knowingly.

"Except for Harry's idea of brooms," Remus added jokingly.

"**Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.**

"**There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.**

"That means it is airborne," James commented, intrigued despite himself. He couldn't deny that he did like a good show.

**Something large, much larger than a broomstick - or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks - was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.**

"Anybody got any ideas?" Lily asked curiously.

Remus shook his head and instead continued reading to find out.

"**It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.**

"Definitely not," Remus chuckled.

"No one would be stupid enough to take a dragon to a school full of children," Lily scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"**Don't be stupid… it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.**

**Dennis's guess was closer… **

**As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.**

"Alright, that's definitely showing off," Lily admitted, nodding to Sirius.

"It would make for an impressive sight though," James said, imagining the scene in his head.

**The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed - then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes.**

**Harry just had time to see that the door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) **

"The Beauxbatons coat of arms?" James asked, seeking a confirmation.

Sirius was the one who gave it to him by nodding his head; a few of his distant relatives lived in France and had attended the school.

"Not as impressive as the Hogwarts crest," Lily mentioned idly.

"Although it is self-explanatory," Remus pointed out. "Hogwarts coat of arms is impressive only to those who know its history, who understand the meaning behind the animals."

**before it opened. A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Harry saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage - a shoe the size of a child's sled – **

"A what?" James asked incredulously.

"That's a big shoe," Sirius quipped, eyes slightly wider than usual.

"Imagine what the heel looks like on that thing," Lily added.

**followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. **

"Looks like Hagrid is going to have company this year," Sirius mentioned in an amused tone of voice.

**The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.**

**Harry had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in his life, and that was Hagrid; he doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights. **

"That's a big woman," Sirius said, his eyes still not back to their usual size.

**Yet somehow - maybe simply because he was used to Hagrid - this woman (now at the foot of the steps, and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. **

"Well, women do have more things that can be, uh, larger," James said lightly, winking at his wife.

"Can you just imagine the size of her b..." Sirius trailed off at the beady glare he was getting from Lily. It didn't stop him from thinking about it though, and judging by the look on Remus' face he had been unable to stop himself from conjuring the image either.

**As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.**

"Even dressed to impress," James said with a grin.

"Well that's normal," Lily responded fairly. "First impressions and all that."

**Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman.**

"Oh, honestly, you would think that since they're so used to Hagrid that they wouldn't be so rude and stare at her like that," Lily huffed, though she sounded amused.

"Exactly," Sirius pointed out. "They're used to Hagrid. A woman that size is a whole different story."

**Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.**

"**My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."**

"**Dumbly-dort," **

They all had to laugh at hearing that.

"I really want to call Dumbledore that, now," Sirius claimed. "What do you reckon he'd say?"

"If McGonagall heard you she'd probably try to put you in detention, graduation be damned," James replied, amusement colouring his tone.

**said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"**

"**In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.**

"Do the heads of the magical schools meet?" Lily asked curiously. "How do they know each other?"

"They're the heads of two of the most prestigious schools in Europe," James pointed out. "I'm sure they probably all run in the same circle. End up at the same conventions or meetings and all that."

"Besides which, they had to organize this whole tournament," Remus added. "So even if they didn't know each other previously, they would have had to have meant during that process."

"**My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.**

"Doesn't she sound proud," Sirius commented with a snort.

**Harry, whose attention had been focused completely upon Madame Maxime, **

"From the sounds of it, it's difficult not to be," Remus noted.

**now noticed that about a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. **

"Why wouldn't they bring cloaks? The seasons aren't any different," Lily stated a little huffily.

"It is typically colder in northern Scotland than in France," Remus admitted, having spent a lot of time in France on vacation with his parents.

"But you would think that they would know that or at least that they're teachers would have warned them as such," Sirius pointed out.

"They probably did. Maybe the kids just assumed that they were fussing or exaggerating," James suggested, remembering thinking that very often when his mother went on about the importance of warm clothes.

"Well, my Harry won't be like that, will you, darling?" Lily cooed, tickling her son under his cheek. The baby squirmed on his Daddy's lap in response.

**A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. **

**From what Harry could see of them (they were standing in Madame Maxime's enormous shadow), they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.**

"Intimidated," Remus commented knowingly.

"If I remember what I read correctly, Hogwarts is the largest of the three major schools," Lily recalled.

"And the oldest," Remus added. "Which is probably one of the reasons that it has always been considered to be the best of the three."

"'**As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.**

"So Maxime is head of Beauxbatons, and Karkaroff must be head of Durmstrang," Remus noted, wanting to get the names straight to ensure he knew what role everyone played. "Has anyone heard of them?"

"Doesn't sound familiar to me at all," Sirius said. Lily and James nodded in agreement with him, neither having heard the names before.

"**He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"**

"I think those students definitely need to warm up," Lily stated firmly.

"You are such a natural mother," James whispered into her ear, making her blush a little bit.

"**Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses -"**

"**Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, **

"Delighted is probably an understatement," James said with a grin.

**"the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other - er - charges."**

"**Skrewts," Ron muttered to Harry, grinning.**

"Hopefully that means they've all killed each other or something," Lily said. She did not like the thought of those strange creatures at all.

"**My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. **

"Hey, no need to insult the school," Remus claimed indignantly, quite protective of the place where he had truly felt like he belonged.

"**Zey are very strong…"**

"Sounds like they'll be right up Hagrids alley, then," Sirius noted, slightly sarcastically.

"Probably still not quite as dangerous as he would like, though," James added.

"**I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.**

"**Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"**

"Really?" Lily asked with raised eyebrows. "The horses only drink whiskey?"

"I have to admit that I have never had a magical horse, but that does sound really weird," James said, looking a little taken aback at Madame Maxime's declaration.

"I don't think I've ever read anything like that," Remus said, also believing it to be quite strange.

"**It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.**

"**Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, **

"I've only heard about her for a few minutes but I already prefer Dumbledore as a Headmaster," Lily declared. "He's much warmer towards his students."

"Some people don't approve of that kind of attitude, though," Sirius pointed, his parents having been amongst them. "However, personally, I agree with you whole-heartedly."

**and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.**

"**How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus Finnigan said, **

"Oh there's no chance that they're going to arrive the same way," Sirius stated. "It wouldn't be nearly as impressive a second time around."

"It would be hilarious if they accidentally did arrive the same way thought," James said, snickering at the thought.

"That would probably be mortified," Remus agreed, also laughing.

**leaning around Lavender and Parvati to address Harry and Ron.**

"**Well, if they're any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," said Harry. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. **

"Oh, I hope not," Lily said, not having considered that possibility. She had simply assumed that they were fighting each other or something along those lines. As much as she disliked the idea of Hagrid showing children such dangerous creatures, she didn't want him to be hurt.

"Maybe if he was injured, it would get him to realise how dangerous they are and he would get rid of them?" Remus wondered aloud hopefully, sighing as James and Sirius turned disbelieving faces on him.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," the werewolf muttered under his breath.

**Wonder what's up with them?"**

"**Maybe they've escaped," said Ron hopefully.**

"As much as I would love to be rid of them, that would not be a good thing," Lily said a little faintly.

"**Oh don't say that," said Hermione with a shudder. "Imagine that lot loose on the grounds…"**

"I don't particularly want to," James admitted with his own slight shudder. "Imagine what they could do to the students if they were let loose. Especially to students who haven't done Care of Magical Creatures."

**They stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky.**

**For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then - "Can you hear something?" said Ron suddenly. Harry listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.**

"That's... strange," Remus said slowly, wondering what on earth that was about.

"What's a vacuum cleaner, anyway?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Muggles use it clear away dust," Lily answered quickly, wanting to return to the book so they could find out what the noise meant. "It uses suction to get dust off the floor."

"**The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"**

"Arriving by water," Sirius mused. "Well, it's definitely original."

"That must have taken them forever, though," Lily said, looking surprised.

"With magic, not much longer than the horse and carriage would have taken," James told her.

**From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water - except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks - and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor… What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool… and then Harry saw the rigging…**

"A giant boat," Remus concluded.

"From the sound of that whirlpool, I'm guessing they skipped a few hundred miles magically as well," James said to his wife.

"**It's a mast!" he said to Ron and Hermione.**

"He has sharp observations skills, doesn't he?" James noted proudly, giving his baby son a cuddle.

**Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes.**

"That probably makes it look more impressive than if it were brand new," Sirius noted, looking a little intrigued despite himself.

"I wonder if it looking so old means that they use it often," Lily mused out loud, also looking a little intrigued.

"Well, Hogwarts, A History is publically available, so surely the other schools have something similar that they you can read and find out," Remus said to her, wracking his brain to try and remember whether he had ever seen such a thing before.

"Durmstrang has always been the most secretive of the schools though," Sirius pointed out. He knew a little about it; the Blacks had been periodically considering sending their children to Durmstrang for several generations due to the schools greater emphasis on the Dark Arts. They always ultimately decided on Hogwarts, however, because the school still held the most prestigious reputation.

**Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.**

**People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Harry noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle… **

"I highly doubt that the entire school is made up of muscled men, darling," Lily said with amusement in her voice.

**but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, he saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. **

"That makes more sense," Lily said. "And it sounds as though they're better prepared than the Beauxbatons people."

**But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.**

"**Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"**

"**Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) **

"Not quite a spectacular appearance as Madame Maxime," Sirius noted amusedly.

**did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.**

"**Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; **

"Sounds like he has been to the castle before," James noted, a little suspiciously.

"Do you think he may have been a student there?" Sirius asked him curiously, following his train of thought.

"You would think that Headmasters or Headmistresses would be alumni," Remus said, though he wasn't sure whether it was actually a requirement.

"I just think he's acting awfully familiar about the school," James said, eyes narrowed slightly in thought.

"He might just be trying to be friendly," Lily offered.

"Maybe," James acknowledged, though he wasn't convinced.

**his teeth were rather yellow, and Harry noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. **

"That seems to ruin the being friendly theory," Sirius pointed out.

"Then maybe he's just pretending to be friendly," Lily countered with a shrug.

**"How good it is to be here, how good… Viktor, come along, into the warmth… you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…"**

"Sounds a little more like favouritism to me," Sirius said cynically.

"Oh, shush," Lily responded with a roll of her eyes. "They were travelling via water, its highly possible that one of the children got a little ill."

**Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, Harry caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. **

**He didn't need the punch on the arm Ron gave him, or the hiss in his ear, to recognize that profile.**

"Wait, they know him?" James asked, sitting up as his interest piqued.

Sirius was about to ask how Harry could know someone from Durmstrang when Remus quickly continued reading, having seen the next sentence.

**"Harry - it's Krum!"**

"Krum? As in Viktor Krum the Bulgarian Seeker?" James asked in surprise.

"Apparently so," Remus said to him as he put aside the book. "That's the end of the chapter as well."

James was about to start talking about the impressiveness of someone as young as Krum playing professionally when Harry started squirming in his arms again. He had been doing it periodically during the last few pages they had read and James finally took the hint.

"Alright, love, you want to go back to your toys," he said to Harry, putting the baby on his hip and standing up in one fluid motion.

Lily checked her watch and said to them, "We can still get through a couple more chapters before we have to put Harry to bed."

James knelt down and placed Harry gently on the blanket. Harry grabbed the nearest blocks and banged them together happily, giggled at the noise. He waved it at his Mummy and got a warm smile and a wave back. He got a similar response when he repeated the action with Remus and Sirius. He still refused to give up his pacifier, looking at his Daddy with impossibly wide eyes when it looked like the man might take it away.

James just smiled at his son and, after kissing him on the top of his head, stood up and joined the others on the couch as Lily picked up the book so that she could continue to read.

* * *

_I have an irrational love of the nickname Bambi for Harry. So sue me. (But don't, because everything in bold belongs to JK Rowling, as do the characters, the world, the setting etc... I make no money off this, just enjoyment.)_

_Also, as another 'sorry' for such a long break, I'll have the next chapter up in less than a week. :)_

_Please guys, I know it has been forever, but I still really want to know what you thought about this chapter – please review!_


	19. The Goblet of Fire

_ETA: I don't know whats up with the website, but this one was changed when I uploaded it as well. I think I've managed to fix everything, let me know if I haven't.  
_

_So I thought I'd have this one out earlier, because it was essentially all written. But then I ended up treating what I'd written as more of a template and kept going through and tweaking it, and adding more to it… Hopefully that means it's an improved version of the original! :) I hope you enjoy…_

_With any luck, I'll be able to get the next chapter out next week as well. Oh, and as usual, all the characters and the words in bold belong to JK Rowling._

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN **

**THE GOBLET OF FIRE**

"The Goblet of Fire?" James asked thoughtfully. "That's the name of the book, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and that means that it will centre around it, so I suppose we'll find out the main plot or adventure or whatnot," Remus explained.

"And here I thought that there was already enough adventure," Lily said, snorting.

"It probably has something to do with the Triwizard Tournament," Sirius pointed out. "But the only way we'll find out is if we keep reading."

"Yeah, and I have to see the reactions to Viktor Krum," Remus said, smirking at James.

"What's that supposed to mean?" James asked indignantly, but was hushed by Lily, who started to read.

**"I don't believe it!" Ron said in a stunned voice, as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. "Krum, Harry! _Viktor Krum!_"**

"Oh for goodness sakes, he's only a Quidditch player," Lily exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"Lily," said James, "He's still in school and a professional Quidditch player. Do you have _any _idea how impressive that is?"

Sirius nodded in agreement.

**"For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," said Hermione.**

"Thank you," Lily exclaimed.

**"_Only a Quidditch player_?" Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn't believe his ears. "Hermione - he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!" **

"I have to admit that James is right," Remus admitted, "That's downright impressive."

"Men," Lily huffed.

**As they re-crossed the Entrance Hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students, heading for the Great Hall, Harry saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head. Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked - "Oh, I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me -" "D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?"**

"Looks like its women too," James pointed out smugly. Lily glared at him while Sirius turned his laugh into a cough.

"Although I don't see why they're all panicking so much about not having a quill on them," Remus pointed out, amused. "Presumably, he's going to be there for the whole year."

**"_Really_," Hermione said loftily, as they passed the girls, now squabbling over the lipstick. **

**"_I'm_ getting his autograph if I can," said Ron, "you haven't got a quill, have you, Harry?"**

**"Nope, they're upstairs in my bag," said Harry.**

"Well, at least it seems like Harry is keeping his head," Lily said, sounding satisfied.

"He survived the Avada Kedavra curse, making him famous himself," Remus pointed out, "He probably knows what it's like to be hounded constantly."

"But it's not a bad thing," said Sirius.

"To you, it's not," Lily contradicted, "Harry, on the other hand, seems very modest – obviously got that from me – so probably doesn't like the fame."

"I suppose," Sirius admitted.

"Besides, I don't know if I like the thought of my boy being hounded because of something like that," James added, frowning. "Being popular at school is one thing, being well-known throughout the wizarding world for surviving the killing curse is another thing entirely."

**They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron took care to sit on the side facing the doorway, because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. **

Sirius chuckled at that; when everyone looked at him he said, "Well, Moony was just saying during the last chapter about most people not knowing what the animals represent. Can you just imagine what they must be saying to each other? 'Should we sit at the table with the lion or the weird badger?"

"What about the one with the strangely coloured eagle?" James added, also chuckling now.

**The students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. **

"Go for the one with the same colour," Remus murmured.

"Is it their school colour?" Lily asked interestedly, not having come across that information in any of the books she had read.

"I don't know, but it is the colour of their uniform," Remus said to her with a shrug.

**They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.**

"I did say that they should have brought warmer clothes," Lily commented with a sigh.

"It's always warm in the Great Hall, though," James pointed out sensibly.

**"It's not _that_ cold," said Hermione irritably, who was watching them. "Why didn't they bring cloaks?" **

"Well, if they need cloaks, that seems to imply that it is _that _cold," Sirius said with a laugh.

**"Over here! Come and sit over here!" Ron hissed. **

"Krum again," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Lils, I understand that it could get annoying, but just because he wants to meet Krum doesn't mean he's going to fawn over him," James pointed out, sounding slightly irritable. Lily just raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

**"Over here! Hermione, budge up, make a space -"**

**"What?"**

"One person moving isn't going to make much of a difference for them," Sirius pointed out, snickering slightly.

**"Too late," said Ron bitterly.**

**Viktor Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had settled themselves at the Slytherin table.**

"I thought they might sit there," Sirius murmured.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, curious.

"Hm? Oh, like I said before, Durmstrang holds a high esteem for the Dark Arts. I'm not pre-judging them," Sirius added hastily, correctly interpreting the look on Lily's face. "I'm just saying that the students at Durmstrang learn a lot about the Dark Arts – Malfoy admitted it earlier on. The majority of them most likely enjoy it after being exposed to it for so long."

Lily sat stunned for a moment before recovering and saying in a teasing tone, "I honestly never thought you were so logical." Sirius threw a pillow at her in answer, which she dodged with a grin. She knew very well that Sirius' loud and boisterous personality was mostly a front that hid his underlying clever and caring side.

**Harry could see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle looking very smug about this. **

"I swear, I will never understand men," Lily declared, shaking her head.

"And we will never understand women," James said wisely. "It's the way of life."

"I don't see why those three are so smug, anyway," Sirius commented. "I don't see Krum making friendly with kids three or four years his junior, somehow."

**As he watched, Malfoy bent forwards to speak to Krum.**

"So much for your idea," Remus said to Sirius with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course Malfoy is going to talk to Krum," Sirius said, rolling his eyes slightly. "But that's no guarantee that Krum is going to respond in any way."

**"Yeah, that's right, smarm up to him, Malfoy," said Ron scathingly. "I bet Krum can see right through him, though ... bet he gets people fawning over him all the time ...**

"And just what do you think you're doing," Lily said, laughing slightly.

"Very few people every notice their own traits being broadcast to them by others, whether they be positive or negative," Remus stated wisely.

"Alright, Moony, you're not a professor yet, so you can give it a rest with the wise sayings," Sirius said to his friend jokingly, making James chuckle in response. Remus just glared at them both.

**Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry ... I wouldn't mind giving him my bed, I could kip on a camp-bed."**

"Talk about obsessed," Remus said, sounding incredibly amused.

"I know," agreed Lily, "You'd think that having a famous friend would stop him form doing that."

"Besides, what about the other Durmstrang kids," Sirius pointed out, amused.

"Oh come on, give the kid a break, he's just seen a famous Quidditch star and has the opportunity to meet him," James said, a little indignantly.

Baby Harry made a loud noise at that moment, muffled slightly by the pacifier he still hadn't relinquished.

"Good boy, Harry, agree with Daddy, not mean Mummy," James said, smiling at his small child, who seemed to be making a spirited attempt to create what appeared to be a zoo for all his stuffed animals.

Lily hit him on the shoulder and said indignantly, "Oi, you can't say that sort of thing to my baby. Besides, Harry knows Mummy certainly isn't mean."

**Hermione snorted.**

"Re – I mean, that is so Lily," Sirius said under his breath, stopping himself just in time from saying 'reincarnation'. No need to get his mood down. James nodded emphatically.

**"They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot," said Harry.**

"Really?" asked Lily, "Well, that's good to know at least."

"It certainly would be a downer if all the international guests were whiny and unfriendly," Sirius agreed, though he couldn't help but feel slightly distrustful of them.

**The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed.**

"Much better then the whiny Beauxbatons," James said, nodding approvingly.

"That I'll agree to," Remus conceded.

**Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his mouldy old tail coat in honour of the occasion. **

"Well, it's not exactly nice in this time but it's not quite mouldy either," Sirius said snorting.

"Perhaps we ought to speed up the – ah, process," James said mischievously.

"Oh, for goodness sake," sighed Lily.

"I know a spell that could work," Remus said thoughtfully.

"Remus!" Lily said, slightly shocked.

"What?" he asked, completely innocently.

"We did tell you that he was just lying to himself when he said it was our fault he got detention," James reminded her.

"I thought you were over-exaggerating," Lily admitted, now looking slightly surprised.

She shook her head and muttered to herself, "Great. Another one to be wary of during holidays and dinners."

**Harry was surprised to see that he added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore's.**

"Four?" asked Sirius, confused. "But there are only two extra people – the heads of the school; Mixime and Karkarove or something."

"It was Maxime and Karkaroff," Lily corrected, "And I'm assuming one of them would be for Bartemius Crouch, since he would have helped organize it. Though how he didn't get Minister, I wish I knew," she said, mumbling the last part.

"Fine, but that still leaves one extra chair," James pointed out.

"Another organizer?" Lily suggested, shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, the only way we'll find out is if we keep reading," Remus said reasonably.

**"But there are only two extra people," Harry said. "Why's Filch putting out four chairs? Who else is coming?"**

"Is it just me, or does Harry always ask the questions that we want answered?" James asked, amused.

"He's curious," Remus said, smiling. "Always wants to know everything. Though I can't tell which one of you he got it from."

"Lily, of course," James said at once.

At the same time, Lily spoke up with, "James, naturally."

They both glared at each other jokingly before grinning and conceding that both were curious.

"Harry never really had a chance in that department, really," James admitted ruefully.

**"Eh?" said Ron vaguely. He was still staring avidly at Krum.**

Lily rolled her eyes.

"You know, Lily, remind me to tell you what happened when James' dad took the two of us to a professional game the summer before our third year. You know James, when we met the Falcons brilliant chaser," Sirius said to her cheekily.

"Oh?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows in curiosity.

"It's nothing," James insisted, glaring at his friend. Sirius just winked at him.

"I remember that story." Remus laughed in remembrance.

"Now I really want to know," Lily said, smiling at her husband.

**When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their house tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime. When their Headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed.**

"It's tradition for them, they shouldn't have laughed," Lily said disapprovingly.

"They were laughing at Hogwarts," James said defensively.

"That doesn't mean that we should laugh back," Lily snapped at him, "Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'two wrongs don't make a right?'"

"Yes," James admitted sulkily, not wanting to admit his wife was right. He threw a glare at Sirius, who was trying not very successfully to hide his laughter.

**The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore, however, remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.**

**"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly - guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. **

"He must be even happier with more students," Sirius quipped with a laugh.

"Hey, students," Remus realized, adding, "Do you think that they will be taking classes at Hogwarts?"

"They must be," Lily responded thoughtfully. "I mean, they can't sacrifice an entire year of schooling, especially since only one of them is actually competing in the tournament."

**"I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."**

"And filled with many, many pranks," Sirius and James said simultaneously with a grin. Lily couldn't resist laughing.

"Well, he did say enjoyable," Remus quipped with a small grin.

**One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakeably a derisive laugh.**

"Starting with her," James and Sirius said, still in unison.

"I still say that's a little creepy," Lily said, though she chuckled at them. Early on in hers and James' relationship she had been a little jealous of Sirius, his relationship with James so close that it often seemed as though they could read each other's minds to the extent that they sometimes said the same thing at the same time. But gradually she realized that James' close friendships had no negative impact on his relationship with her at all. If anything, it had had a positive impact. She had found herself included in the Marauders, and she had never thought that they would be such wonderful friends. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without them.

**"No one's making you stay!" Hermione whispered, bristling at her. **

"Exactly," said James, "If you didn't like it, you didn't have to come!"

"They might just be homesick or jet-lagged or something," Remus reasoned. "Hold off on classifying them until they've been at Hogwarts for a few days."

**"The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" **

**He sat down, and Harry saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.**

"Impatient, isn't he," Remus commented dryly.

"Wonder what they're talking about," Sirius said idly.

**The dishes in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.**

"Couldn't they have done that when we were at school?" Sirius asked, enviously. He perked up and said, "Hey, Lily – "

"No, I am not making a feast of foreign foods for you," Lily said without letting him finish his sentence. The only downside of being such good friends with the marauders was that she seemed to be cooking for them all the time. Not long after her marriage to James, she had found herself always making extra food when making dinner for them so that there was always something to feed her husbands friends.

"Please," James said, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"No," said Lily. Sirius and James both pouted.

"Don't worry, mate," James whispered to Sirius once Lily had looked away, "We'll get Harry to ask her. She can't resist _his _puppy-dog eyes."

"Who can," Remus said rhetorically, having heard what they'd said. He, for one, had been wrapped around Harry's little finger from the day he saw him at the hospital.

**"What's _that_?" said Ron, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside a large steak-and-kidney pudding.**

**"Bouillabaisse," said Hermione.**

"Oh, I loved that when I was at France," Lily said.

"I didn't," James said, shuddering. He and Lily had gone to France for a weekend to celebrate their engagement. _She _had loved it. He had not. After that, he insisted that they go to Spain or Italy for their honeymoon.

**"Bless you," said Ron.**

"That's what I said," said James, moodily.

**"It's _French_," said Hermione. "I had it on holiday, summer before last, it's very nice." **

"Stop lying!" James cried, "It is not nice!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, James," Lily said, "Bouillabaisse is very nice."

Remus and Sirius had already cracked up at the interaction between husband and wife.

**"I'll take your word for it," said Ron, helping himself to black pudding.**

"Smart man," said James, nodding wisely, "Not taking any of that – that _stuff." _

**The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently coloured uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of deep, blood red. **

"So, red, blue and black," Sirius counted.

"Yeah, that would make the Great Hall seem fuller," Remus agreed.

**Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end and waved at Harry, Ron and Hermione with a heavily bandaged hand.**

"Is that from the Skrewts or the horses?" Lily asked, sounding as though she was unsure whether to laugh or look worried.

**"Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry called.**

**"Thrivin'" Hagrid called back happily.**

"Only Hagrid would be happy about that," Sirius said, shaking his head and chuckling.

"I wouldn't be surprised if his class tried to kill them or something," James said, also chuckling.

"Personally, I think that that would be a brilliant idea," said Lily, nodding, "Provided that they can do it without Hagrid seeing them, of course."

**"Yeah, I'll just bet they are," said Ron quietly. "Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers." **

They all had to laugh, and James added, "Well, Hagrid doesn't really like to have creatures that can't or won't bite him."

"Besides, at least it's not the students fingers," Sirius commented wryly.

**At that moment, a voice said, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?"**

"You see, somebody does like Bouillabaisse," Lily said to James. He didn't bother to reply.

**It was the girl from Beauxbatons who had laughed during Dumbledore's speech. She had finally removed her muffler. **

"She's probably pretty," James said, "All French girls are absolutely gorgeous," he confided.

"Excuse me?" said Lily, trying not to show she was close to laughter. "You went to France with me, right after we got engaged, if I recall correctly. Are you telling me that you were looking at other women at the time?"

"Erm," said James, looking like a deer caught between the headlights and also looking desperately for an escape. Lily lasted about a minute before collapsing into laughter.

James looked at her, comprehension dawning, and then he said indignantly, "Did you just trick me?"

**A long sheet of silvery blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth. **

"Well, she is pretty," Sirius agreed. "It's too bad she must be about twenty years my junior by then."

James was too busy pouting at his wife to comment.

**Ron went purple. He stared up at her, opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out except a faint gurgling noise.**

"Doesn't have much experience with girls, does he?" Sirius asked, sounding as though he was about to laugh.

"Oh, don't laugh at him," Lily said. "After all, I remember a certain young man who fell down a flight of stairs because he was staring at a girl and couldn't figure out how to ask her out!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sirius said, with dignity. The other three were laughing.

**"Yeah, have it," said Harry, pushing the dish towards the girl.**

**"You 'ave finished wiz it?"**

"If they know what's good for them, they wouldn't have touched it," James said under his breath.

"James, will you please shut up about the Bouillabaisse," Lily said, exasperated.

**"Yeah," said Ron breathlessly. "Yeah, it was excellent."**

James snorted but didn't say anything.

**The girl picked up the dish and carried it carefully off to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before.**

**Harry started to laugh. **

The four adults had already started.

**The sound seemed to jog Ron back to his senses. **

**"She's a _Veela_!" he said hoarsely to Harry.**

"I highly doubt that," Sirius said, lips still twitching even after he calmed down.

**"Of course she isn't!" said Hermione tartly. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"**

"Given the way she looks, I don't think she'll be quite right about that," James said, lips also twitching.

"Sounds like somebody's jealous," Sirius said in a sing-song voice.

**But she wasn't entirely right about that. **

"Thought not," said James, sounding like he was ready to burst out laughing at any moment.

**As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys' heads turned, and some of them seemed to have become temporarily speechless, just like Ron.**

"Maybe that comment about Veela isn't so far-fetched," said Remus, thoughtfully.

"Oh, c'mon, Moony, what are the chances of a Veela at school," James scoffed.

"Especially since they're native to Bulgaria," Sirius added.

Remus shrugged, but frowned pensively. There was something up with her, even if she wasn't a Veela.

**"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. **

Remus nodded in agreement.

**"They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!" **

"They do too," James said indignantly. "After all, my wonderful Lily was at Hogwarts." Sirius coughed to hide a snigger while Lily blushed slightly.

**"They make them OK at Hogwarts," said Harry, without thinking. **

"Ooh, why do I get the feeling that I know where this is going," Sirius said, perking up with a slightly evil looking smirk.

**Cho Chang happened to be sitting only a few places away from the girl with silvery hair. **

"Oh, Harry's crush is near Ron's crush," Sirius said, a glint in his eye.

"Aw, that's so cute," Lily said, somehow managing to coo and laugh at the same time.

"Harry's first crush," James said, teasing but with a tinge of remorse in his voice. He loved doing this, but he wished he could do it with his actual teenage son, watching him blush and try to evade questions… Lily trying to defend him… Sirius teasing mercilessly and him a little less so…

**"When you've both put your eyes back in," said Hermione briskly, "you'll be able to see who's just arrived." **

"Yes, do put your eyes back in," Lily said, now sounding intrigued, "We want to see who has arrived."

"Speak for yourself," Sirius said, a twinkle in his eye, "I want to keep teasing Harry about Cho."

**She was pointing up at the staff table. The two remaining empty seats had just been filled. Ludo Bagman was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, **

"Ludo Bagman?" Lily asked, surprised.

"He did mention he'd helped organized it," Remus said. "It would make sense that he'd get a ring-side seat."

"Should be interesting with him around," said James, though he said it warily. After Bagman's strange behavior during the dark events that occurred after the cup he found himself a little suspicious of the Quidditch legend. Perhaps Moody was rubbing off on him too much.

**while Mr. Crouch, Percy's boss, was sitting next to Madame Maxime.**

"I knew he would be there," Lily said.

"That's because you are a woman and you know everything," Sirius said confidently, winking at her with a cheeky grin.

**"What are they doing here?" said Harry in surprise.**

"James' genetics showing through there," Lily said, though her tone was laced with fondness.

"Why is it that everything bad is from me, and everything good is from you?" James asked, complaining.

"Because," Lily said simply.

"Women," James said under his breath. Sirius sent his a best friend a commiserating smile.

**"They organised the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" said Hermione. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."**

"You would think that they would have been there to greet the other school," Remus noted, furrowing his brow, thinking it was a little strange.

"Especially since Crouch is head of International Relations, isn't he?" Sirius added, his curiosity also a little peaked. "I don't see him failing to be there to greet international delegations, somehow."

**When the second course arrived they noticed a number of unfamiliar puddings, too. **

"As long as there aren't any Pate a Crepes," James muttered.

"I liked Pâte à Crèpes," Lily said. "And by the way, you're saying it completely wrong."

"Don't care," James said obstinately.

"Hey, Prongs," Sirius said, interrupting the argument. "Did you eat anything when you were in France?"

"No," said James, pouting. He then shuddered and added, "I didn't want to after some crazy chef gave me snails and frogs."

"Ew," said Sirius, also shuddering.

"Its frogs' legs and escargot," Lily said to them both exasperatedly. "And I don't see why you two want me to cook you a feast of international foods when you won't even eat them!"

"I'm sure if you just left out all the French food, it would be fine," James assured her.

Lily just rolled her eyes in response and continued to read.

**Ron examined an odd sort of pale blancmange closely, **

"Is that that patee crape stuff?" Sirius asked.

"No," Lily answered, "And your French accent is worse then James'. It's Pâte à Crèpes."

**then moved it carefully a few inches to his right, so that it would be clearly visible from the Ravenclaw table. **

They all had to laugh at that.

"Ah, the days of being teenagers and trying to talk to girls," James said fondly, drawing his wife closer with the arm he had around her shoulders.

**The girl who looked like a Veela appeared to have eaten enough, however, and did not come over to get it.**

"Aw, poor Ron," said Sirius wickedly, eyes twinkling.

**Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Harry felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming. **

"The introduction of the Tournament," Remus stated, slightly in awe. "It definitely should be interesting to read about."

"Harry and his friends really are quite lucky to be at Hogwarts to see it," Lily admitted. For all her complaining about the danger, the Triwizard Tournament was certainly an incredibly event that nobody in their lifetime would have seen. She had to admit that she would enjoy reading about it. Of course, she only felt like that because her own son would not be able – and apparently did not want – to compete.

"It's definitely something worth seeing," James agreed, his voice quiet. He was staring at his small son, who had given up on the zoo and was making a tower with his blocks instead. As interesting as it would be to see the famed tournament resurrect, he knew that he was nowhere near as disappointed at missing that as he was at the thought of missing his son's childhood.

**Several seats along from them, Fred and George were leaning forwards, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration. **

"Anybody else getting the feeling that this is probably one of the only times that they are seen – or even do that?" Lily asked with a knowing grin.

"If they really are like these two, then yes," Remus said with a sigh.

**"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring the casket -"**

"Casket?" asked James, confused.

"They must use it to keep that Goblet of Fire," Lily answered.

"The million galleon question is what the Goblet of Fire does," Remus stated. He had not read extensively about the Triwizard Tournament – it was interesting but he had never believed that it would be resurrected, which made detailed information superfluous. He had never come across anything called the Goblet of Fire in his reading.

**"The what?" Harry muttered.**

**Ron shrugged.**

"It does sound a little ominous – bringing out the casket," Sirius admitted. "Sounds like someone is dead or something."

**"- just to clarify the procedure which we will be following this year. But firstly, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation" - there was a smattering of polite applause - "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."**

"Who is way cooler then Barty Crouch," James added.

"Agreed," said Sirius, enthusiastically.

**There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, **

"Except that Bagman and Crouch were famous around the same time," Lily said. "I really wish I knew what happened."

"Relax, Lils, we'll probably find out later," James said to her.

"Besides, kids are far more likely to know a famous Quidditch player than they are a famous politician," Remus pointed out reasonably.

**or simply because he looked much more likeable.**

"Which is also true," James stated with a grin.

**He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry thought he looked strange in wizard's robes. **

"Well, that's new," Sirius said bemusedly, "A pure-blood wizard looking odd in robes."

**His toothbrush moustache and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard. **

"That's not the only way that they're polar opposites," James said.

"Yeah – one practically worships rules, the other doesn't care a knut for them," Sirius finished.

**"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, **

"Somehow, I get the feeling that Crouch did significantly more work than Bagman," Lily said with a small smile.

"It must have been an insanely hectic year for them, though," Remus said, looking thoughtful and a little admiring. "They had to organize both the World Cup and the Tournament in the same time period."

**"and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime on the panel which will judge the champions' efforts."**

"That makes sense," Remus murmured approvingly.

"Yes, it means that at the very least there are two un-biased judges," Lily agreed.

"There's no way that Dumbledore will be biased, though," James said.

"No, but I bet the other two heads will be," countered Sirius.

"And let's not forget about the champions cheating and whatnot," James added.

"You know, people can get quite the dim view of humanity, listening to you two," Lily complained.

**As the mention of the word "champions", the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen.**

**Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, **

"Is there anything that he doesn't notice?" Sirius asked.

"Well, there is the fact that he hasn't noticed the fact that my son is treated horribly by the idiots I call my relatives," Lily said, practically snarling. James nodded emphatically. Dumbledore should have found a better family to take care of his son. Even Remus would have been good, and have Harry come to Hogwarts on the full moon or something.

**for he smiled and said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."**

**Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore, carrying a great wooden chest, encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. **

"As old as the tournament, most likely," Remus murmured.

**A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students; Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else's.**

**"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore, as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. **

"That had better mean that it will be much safer," Lily said in a lecturing tone. "For the champions and the spectators."

"Oh, come on, Lils, it's not like they're gonna get like a… a… dragon or something," James said, smiling. Privately he couldn't help but agree with her. He found it strange to think that when he had been a student, the idea of the tournament being held would have filled him with delight and intrigue because of the danger involved. Now that he was a parent, he was still interested in the tournament playing out, but significantly less thrilled about the danger aspect. Hopefully Lily was right and there were plenty of safety measures for the spectators!

**There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, **

"_Tri_wizard Tournament, _three _schools, _three_ champions, _three_ tasks," Remus mused out loud. "It's interesting that tournament seems to revolve around threes when seven is the most powerfully magical number."

"Three has some fairly significant magical properties as well, though," James pointed out, having done Arithmancy up until his NEWTs.

**and they will test the champions in many different ways ... their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."**

"Too bad they didn't do it in this time," Lily said, smiling, "One of the tasks could be trying to survive several hours locked into a room with you!"

"Hey!" said James indignantly, "We are not that bad!"

"No," said Lily simply, smiling at her husband mischievously. "You're worse."

**At this last word, the Hall filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing. **

**"As you know, three champions compete in the Tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector... the Goblet of Fire." **

Sirius looked taken aback for a moment and said, "Well, it's definitely going to be impartial, that's for sure."

"Yeah, because a goblet is going to be biased," James said sarcastically.

"It isn't going to be able to tell the difference between an underage student and an of-age wizard," Lily brought up, a little anxiously. "Especially considering it was created during a time there was no such age restriction."

"Don't worry, Lily, Dumbledore will come up with something else to keep them out of that goblet," James said to her confidently. As irritated as he was with the Headmaster at the moment, there was no denying the old man's magical prowess.

**Dumbledore now took out his wand, and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. **

"Again with the three," Remus mumbled. "I've got half a mind to look that up in some of the Arithmancy books to see what it might mean."

**The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it, and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable, had it not been full to the brim with dancing, blue-white flames. **

"That's quite cool," said James. The other three nodded silently.

**Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the Goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.**

**"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment, and drop it into the Goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, **

James shuddered, not knowing why he all of a sudden hated the holiday that had once been his favourite.

"The poor house-elves, having to prepare feasts two nights in a row," Lily noted idly.

**the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The Goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. **

"I'd do it that night, if I were competing," Lily said, "Not that I would even ever want to compete."

"I wouldn't really care," said Sirius indifferently. "Though if you're trying to get through under-age, then at night is probably the best."

"Yeah, but the twins won't," Remus contradicted, "They'll want an audience, wanting to show that they hoodwinked Dumbledore."

**"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore,**

Sirius snorted and said, "Yeah, right, Dumbledore knows very well that a lot of them have already 'yielded to temptation' and have every intention of getting in."

** "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the Entrance Hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.**

"An age line?" asked Lily, incredulously, "There's no way that Dumbledore would stop at a simple Age Line."

"Nope," said James, sounding amused, "There will probably be a whole lot of other precautionary spells."

"There would have to be," Remus agreed. "An age line wouldn't be terribly difficult to fool."

**"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this Tournament is not to be entered into lightly. **

"Well, at least he is giving a warning," Lily mumbled. "Though I am _thrilled _that Harry can't compete," Lily said, now more brightly.

"So am I," said James fervently.

**Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the Tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the Goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. **

"Would that even work if you're under seventeen?" asked Remus, curiously.

"There must be something to make it work even if you're under seventeen," Lily said, frowning slightly. "I've never heard of a binding magical contract if you're underage though. Unless it's done through your parents, of course."

"It is possible," Sirius revealed, knowledge from his strict pure-blood upbringing coming to the fore again. "It was fairly common several centuries ago, especially when it came to arranged pure-blood marriages. I think it's illegal now to use those spells now, though."

**There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are whole-heartedly prepared to play, before you drop your name into the Goblet. **

"Which is why it's a good thing no eleven year old can even put their name in," James said, "They won't think it through completely logically."

**Now, I think it is time for bed. Goodnight to you all."**

**"An Age Line!" Fred Weasley said, his eyes glinting, as they all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the Entrance Hall. "Well, that should be fooled by an Ageing Potion, shouldn't it? **

"It should," said Lily, nodding, "But Dumbledore, on the other hand, won't be fooled."

"He'll have thought of a way around it," Sirius added.

**And once your name's in the Goblet, you're laughing - it can't tell whether your seventeen or not!"**

"It's also no guarantee that it will actually pick you to be a champion, though," Remus pointed out with a small smile at the twins' exuberance.

**"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said Hermione, "we just haven't learnt enough..." **

"Anybody under OWLs I'll agree with," said Remus thoughtfully. "NEWT students, however…"

**"Speak for yourself," said George shortly. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"**

"Harry James Potter, the answer to that had better be 'no'," James said sharply, surprising Sirius, for he had been expecting that sentence to come out of Lily's mouth, not James'. Not that it mattered – he personally also agreed with the statement.

**Harry thought briefly of Dumbledore's insistence that nobody under seventeen should submit their name, **

"For good reason," James added firmly.

**but then the wonderful picture of him winning the Triwizard Cup filled his mind again... **

"Cho Chang," Sirius snorted, sounding as though he was a second from full-blown laughing.

"He can find other ways to impress a girl," James said shortly, not liking this passage in the least.

**he wondered how angry Dumbledore would be if someone younger then seventeen _did_ find a way to get over the Age Line...**

This time it was Lily who spoke up; her eyes flashed and she said, "That had better not be leading to where I think it's leading."

**"Where is he?" said Ron, who wasn't listening to a word of this conversation, but looking through the crowd to see what had become of Krum. **

"He wasn't serious about giving up his bed, was he?" Lily asked, surprised.

"I probably would have done it at his age," James admitted, a little sheepishly. Lily rolled her eyes, and Sirius and Remus shook their heads.

**"Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"**

"I'm sure it was all organized long before now," Lily said with a sigh.

**But this query was answered almost instantly; they were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students. **

**"Back to the ship, then," he was saying. **

"They must have sleeping quarters in the ship then," Remus said.

"I wonder why they wouldn't want to just sleep in the castle," Lily mused. "There would certainly be room."

"So much for trying to foster ties between international schools," Remus agreed, remembering that that had been one of the goals of the tournament back when it had first been instigated.

"Lets face it, I doubt that ever worked," Sirius said cynically. "All of them, even Hogwarts, are too paranoid at losing their secrets."

**"Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"**

"Very proud of having a famous international Quidditch Player at his school, isn't he?" Lily said.

"Maybe he treats all of his students like that," Sirius said, though he doubted it. "Don't jump to conclusions, Lily," he added with a grin.

**Harry saw Krum shake his head as he pulled his furs back on.**

"Well, at least he doesn't seem to take advantage of the favouritism," Lily said approvingly.

**"Professor, _I_ vood like some vine," said one of the other Durmstrang boys hopefully.**

**"I wasn't offering it to _you_, Poliakoff," snapped Karkaroff, his warmly paternal air vanishing in an instant. **

"Looks like you have a point, Lily," Sirius admitted, rolling his eyes.

"Women are always right. It's one of the first things you learn after getting married," James quipped with a grin for his wife.

**"I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy -"**

"Wow, he really is different with the two of them," Remus noted, eyebrows raised.

"You would think he would know that it would just make things more difficult for Krum," Sirius said, his voice holding a slight bitterness as he remembered the extreme favour his parents had shown his brother over himself.

**Karkaroff turned and led his students towards the doors, reaching them exactly at the same moment as Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry stopped to let them walk through first.**

"Oh, that's nice of you," Lily said, brightly.

"Definitely not from James' side," Sirius said to Remus in an undertone. Remus sniggered in agreement. James threw them a dark glare, guessing what they had said.

**"Thank you," said Karkaroff carelessly, glancing at him. **

**And then Karkaroff froze. **

"Looks like he's heard of Harry," said James, slightly more alert.

"It sounds like everybody has," Lily said, but she also looked more alert. She didn't like the sound of Karkaroff. "Remember the Bulgarian Minister at the Quidditch match?"

**He turned his head back to Harry, and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes. **

"My boy, internationally famous," James murmured. He could not disguise the bitterness he felt when he thought about how that had happened. His baby shouldn't have ever been in a position where he had to have survived the killing curse.

**Behind their Headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt, too. **

"Traffic Jam," Remus murmured, trying to alleviate the tension.

"Why would traffic have jam?" Sirius asked.

"Never mind," Remus responded, rolling his eyes.

**Karkaroff's eyes moved slowly up Harry's face, and fixed upon his scar. **

Lily couldn't help but look at where her small son was still trying to build his tower. She felt her heart constrict as she thought of his tiny unblemished forehead forever marked with a sign that somebody had tried to kill him.

**The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry, too.**

"I get why Harry would find it annoying," James said, pulling himself together.

"Yeah, people taking every opportunity to stare at your forehead would be annoying," Sirius agreed.

**Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw comprehension dawn on a few of their faces. The boy with food all down his front nudged the girl next to him and pointed openly at Harry's forehead. **

"But there's still no need to be rude," Lily snapped indignantly. "Really, he's being polite and you stare and point at him like he's some sort of zoo monkey or something."

**"Yeah, that's Harry Potter," said a growling voice from behind them. **

**Professor Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody as standing there, **

"Good, Moody will scare them away," James said in a satisfied voice. It would serve Karkaroff right, Harry was supposed to be happy at Hogwarts, not being constantly gawked at like some sideshow attraction.

**leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang Headmaster.**

"Doesn't sound like Moody likes him much," Sirius noted. He had to admit Karkaroff rubbed him up the wrong way as well, and not just because of his staring at Harry.

**The colour drained from Karkaroff's face as Harry watched. A terrible look of mingled fury and fear came over his face.**

"They seem to have met before," Remus noted calmly.

"Let's just hope it's not for the reason I'm thinking," Sirius said grimly, his suspicion growing.

**"You!" he said, staring at Moody as though he was unsure he was really seeing him.**

"Definitely met," Lily agreed. "And it wasn't pleasant from the sounds of it."

**"Me," said Moody grimly. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway." It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over each other's shoulders to see what was causing the hold-up. **

"Yeah, move out of the way and leave my baby alone!" James said, then his eyes widened as he noticed he had called his fourteen year old son 'baby'. It really was a good thing they were reading about it and weren't actually there, or Harry probably wouldn't speak to him from embarrassment. _And, _James reflected ruefully, _Padfoot's gonna have a go at me for being way too overprotective. _

**Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutilated face.**

"That doesn't mean anything," James said, seeing the slight look of fear on Lily's face. "Trust me, Moody doesn't like a lot of people."

"I get the feeling there is a good reason behind this, though," Sirius said darkly.

"I just wish there was some way to know for sure," Lily burst out, frustrated. "The worst is not knowing whether you should be worried or not."

**As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late. Harry, Ron and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did at weekends. **

"This whole book is full of many things I thought impossible of students at Hogwarts," James said, jokingly rueful.

"I know," Sirius said, catching on, "I mean, first showing up _early _to a lesson and sitting at the very front? And now… and now… not even sleeping in on a weekend!" he finished dramatically.

"Well, I for one am glad," Lily declared, smiling at the two marauders antics. "I want to see people put their names in the goblet."

**When they went down into the Entrance Hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the centre of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction. **

"The Age Line," they all murmured.

**"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.**

**"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet." **

**"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. **

"Probably," Remus agreed, "Less nerve-wracking."

**"I would've done if it had been me ... wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the Goblet just gobbled you right back out again?"**

James frowned, upset that his son had such a low self esteem. That shouldn't have happened, and he'd bet it was because of those damn Dursleys. James pushed down the anger, not wanting to think about _them, _not yet anyway. When he finished this book, though, well, then the stag would come out and play.

**Someone laughed behind Harry. Turning, he saw Fred, George and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited. **

"They obviously think they've found a way around it," Remus said, grinning.

"Knowing Dumbledore, this should be good," Sirius said gleefully.

**"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Just taken it."**

"Where exactly did they get ageing potion so quickly?" Lily asked curiously, also sounding amused.

"They must have made a stockpile of everything they thought they might need to get into the tournament," Remus said. "That's what I would have done."

**"What?" said Ron.**

"The Ageing Potion, obviously," James said, rolling his eyes.

**"The Ageing Potion, dungbrains," said Fred. **

**"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older." **

**"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.**

"I wonder if they realize that even _if, _and that's a big if, they get past the line, they still might not be chosen," Lily said, amused.

**"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly. "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this."**

"Hermione seems to be the only one with her head screwed on straight," Lily said approvingly.

"I'm sure Harry, Ron, and a lot of others are thinking the same thing," Sirius said defensively. "It's just that they're probably like us – they want to see what will happen to them."

**Fred, George and Lee ignored her.**

"That, and they probably know when to give up," James added fairly.

"Something you always fail at miserably," Lily said to him warmly.

"Are you complaining?" James asked her cheekily, squeezing her shoulder with the arm he still had around her.

"Not at all," Lily said, giving him a warm kiss.

"If you're done scarring us with the lovey-dovey stuff, can you continue reading, Lily," Sirius called out jokingly.

"Oh, shush," Lily said to him, smiling as she started to read again.

**"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then - I'll go first – "**

**Harry watched, fascinated, **

"Like a train-wreck, you just can't pull your eyes away," Sirius said, leaning forward in anticipation.

**as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket, bearing the words "Fred Weasley - Hogwarts". Fred walked right up to the edge of the line, and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. **

"Stops to make sure everyone is watching him," Remus said knowledgeably, well aware of how a pranksters mind worked. Although he himself would have been like Harry – avoid the public eye if he were to want to join, he knew James and Sirius would have loved the attention.

**Then, with the eyes of every person in the Entrance Hall upon him, **

"He's either the guinea pig and people want to see whether it will work, or they know what's going happen," James claimed, grinning in anticipation.

**he took a great breath and stepped over the line.**

**For a split second, Harry thought it had worked – **

"Note the 'split-second'," Sirius said gleefully.

"You really are far too happy about that," Lily said to him, amused.

"It's Dumbledore – you can bet he'll have done something good," Sirius answered.

**George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred – **

"Should have waited a little longer, mate," Sirius claimed, eyes twinkling madly.

**but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical, long white beards.**

There was a stunned silence for a moment then a roar of laughter that made baby Harry look at them quizzically. Seeing that it probably was one of big-boy jokes that Daddy and Uncle Padfoot said a lot but Mummy always yelled at them for, he shrugged and returned to his Quidditch Mobile. He had given up on the blocks; they always seemed to fall down when he did them himself. It was only when Daddy or Uncle Padfoot helped that they managed to get them really, really tall.

**"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. **

"And you know he probably put in a whole lot of extra work because he knew that they wouldn't listen," James pointed out, still grinning at the thought of Fred and George in beards.

**He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little, too. **

"I wonder what would happen if you tried another method of getting past the line," Remus pondered aloud.

**Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."**

"Typical Dumbledore," Sirius said, snorting.

**Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, **

"That's right, he didn't end up going in," Lily said, who was still chuckling herself.

**and Harry, Ron and Hermione, also chortling, went in to breakfast.**

"Well, at least those three know that they shouldn't even bother trying to get in," Lily said, satisfied.

"It doesn't really sound as though they really wanted to, though," Remus pointed out.

"Yeah, Remus is right," James contributed. "They talked about what it would be like to enter, but I think everybody would in that didn't give any indication that they wanted to go through with it."

"It's still nice to know that there is one more incentive for them not to do it, though," Lily said, finishing the conversation. In her opinion, the more things there were to dissuade her child from playing any part in that tournament the better.

**The decorations in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner. **

"The hall always looks great during the various holidays," Sirius said, a little wistfully. There were times when he truly missed the castle he had grown up in.

**Harry led the way over to Dean and Seamus, who were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering.**

"I hope a Gryffindor enters," Sirius said enthusiastically. Now that the amusing show of seeing the underage students attempt to enter was over, he found himself wondering who would be chosen.

**"There's a rumour going round, Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told Harry. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."**

"There can't be a Slytherin champion!" James said disgustedly. He shrugged unsheepishly when Lily gave him a 'look'. "Well, you have to admit that they wouldn't be the best representative of Hogwarts."

**Harry, who had played Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust. "We can't have a Slytherin champion!"**

They all turned to stare in surprise at James, who was staring at the book in surprise. Lily shook her head slowly and said with a smile, "Like father, like son."

James beamed with pride.

**"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," said Seamus contemptuously. "But I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."**

"I don't want him to be a champion either," James said, obstinately, "He beat Harry at Quidditch."

Lily sighed and muttered under her breath, "I'm not even going to bother anymore."

**"Listen!" said Hermione suddenly. **

**People were cheering out in the entrance Hall. They all swivelled around in their seats, and saw Angelina Johnson coming into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. **

"I'm guessing she has just put her name in," Remus predicted.

**A tall black girl who played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down and said, "Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!"**

"A Gryffindor and a Quidditch player. That's a lot better for a champion," James said, now sounding satisfied.

Sirius nodded in agreement.

**"You're kidding!" said Ron, looking impressed.**

**"Are you seventeen, then?" asked Harry.**

James snorted and said, "Well, you'd be able to tell if she wasn't, love."

"Fathers intelligence kicking through," Sirius said teasingly, sniggering.

**"'Course she is. Can't see a beard, can you?" said Ron. **

**"I had my birthday last week," said Angelina.**

"Well, she lucked out then," said Remus. "Imagine how annoyed she would have been if they had chosen the champions at the beginning of the school year."

**"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," said Hermione. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"**

**"Thanks, Hermione," said Angelina, smiling at her.**

**"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," said Seamus, causing several Hufflepuffs passing their table to scowl heavily at him.**

"I couldn't agree more," James said emphatically.

"Isn't it a part of Quidditch that some people lose and some don't?" Lily asked exasperatedly, forgetting her decision to give it up already.

"Not when they beat my baby – er, I mean my son – unfairly," he said stubbornly, hastily correcting himself. Maybe Remus had a point about that 'overprotective father syndrome' that he claimed James had.

**"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione, when they had finished breakfast and were leaving the Great Hall. **

**"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," said Harry.**

"They visit him?" Lily asked, interested. "They must be closer than I thought."

James frowned, exchanging a glance with Sirius. They both seemed to realize the same thing. Unlike Sirius, Hagrid was not hindered by being on the run. He and Lily were both dead. Although Harry obviously liked and respected Remus it did not seem as though the child went to him for help. It seemed that Hagrid was one of the only adults Harry could physically go to, whether it be for help or companionship. As much as he liked Hagrid, he felt his mood darken at the idea of his precious child having so few options.

**"OK," said Ron, "just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the Skrewts." **

"If he does, we'll all have something to say," Remus stated quickly, not liking the idea of students near those things any more than Lily did.

**A look of great excitement suddenly dawned on Hermione's face.**

**"I've just realised - I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!" she said brightly. **

"Oh, not that spew thing again," James said, groaning.

"I know," Sirius agreed whole-heartedly.

**"Wait for me, will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?"**

"There's not much point," Remus said, shaking his head with a small sigh. "I highly doubt Hagrid would be willing to join."

**"What is it with her?" said Ron, exasperated, as Hermione ran away up the marble staircase.**

"She is just extremely dedicated," Sirius said, shaking his head in disbelief that a fourteen year old could be so determined.

**"Hey, Ron," said Harry suddenly. "It's your friend..."**

"What friend?" asked Lily curiously. "Does he mean Viktor Krum?"

**The students from Beauxbatons **

"Oh, it's the Veela girl," Sirius said, comprehension dawning.

"Wonder if they'll end up dating," said Remus idly.

**were coming through the front doors from the grounds, among them, the Veela girl. **

"I honestly don't think that she's a Veela," said Lily, not really directing her comment at anybody.

**Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly.**

"Eh, they're all obviously going to be of age, so it's probably not going to be that interesting," Sirius mentioned indifferently.

**Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organised them into a line. **

"She certainly wants to make it into some kind of a production, though," Remus pointed out.

**One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age-Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks.**

"That would probably look like quite a sight," James said, looking duly impressed at the thought. He had lived in the magical world all of his life, of course, but he still found himself impressed at anything new or different.

**"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones that aren't chosen?" Ron muttered to Harry, as the Veela girl dropped her parchment into the Goblet of Fire. "Reckon they'll go back to school, or hang around to watch the Tournament?"**

"Already making plans, then," Sirius said, lips twitching.

"Apparently," Remus said, chuckling.

"I'm guessing they'll stick around," Lily predicted. "After all, their respective champions will need someone cheering them on."

**"Dunno," said Harry. "Hang around, I suppose... Madame Maxime's staying, isn't she?"**

"Yes, she'll be one of the judges," Lily said, "I wonder what the rest of the school is doing."

"It's probably been left in charge of the Deputy Head," James said. "Like Minerva, if the Tournament had been at one of the other two schools."

**When all the Beauxbatons students had submitted their names, Madame Maxime led them back out of the hall and into the grounds again. **

**"Where are _they_ sleeping, then?" said Ron, moving towards the front doors and staring after them. **

"Well, if the Durmstrang lot are sleeping in their ship then it stands to reason that Beauxbatons have sleeping quarters in their carriage," Lily said, struggling not to laugh.

"And it would probably be significantly more creepy if he tried to give his bed to the Veela girl," Sirius said, lips twitching in amusement.

**A loud rattling noise behind them announced Hermione's reappearance with the box of S.P.E.W. badges.**

**"Oh, good, hurry up," said Ron, and he jumped down the stone steps, keeping his eyes on the back of the Veela girl, who was now halfway across the lawn with Madame Maxime.**

They all had to laugh, and Harry looked up at them once more, pouting as he was now slightly irritated. They were interrupting his game.

**As they neared Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the mystery of the Beauxbatons' sleeping quarters was solved. The gigantic powder-blue carriage in which they had arrived had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid's front door, and the students were climbing back inside it. **

"Looks like you're right, Lily," said Remus.

"I'm betting part of the reason they're staying in there and not at the castle was so that they had some kind of justification for showing up so spectacularly," Sirius said knowledgably.

**The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it. Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered instantly.**

"Looks like he's gotten a new dog," Remus commented. "Hopefully it's nicer than Princess the Pitbull."

"I always hated that dog," Lily grumbled. "Bloody vicious little thing."

**"'Bout time!" said Hagrid, when he'd flung open the door and seen who was knocking. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!" **

**"We've been really busy Hag-" Hermione started to say, but then she stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words.**

"What, is something wrong?" Lily asked, looking slightly panicked, "Have the Skrewts attacked him and maimed him horribly?"

**Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, plus a checked yellow-and-orange tie. **

Lily's jaw was opening and dropping and she looked wide-eyed in surprise. Sirius' and James' jaws had both dropped, but Remus looked unaffected – only his wide eyes gave him away.

"That sounds worse than what he wore to our graduation," Sirius commented faintly.

**This wasn't the worst of it, **

"There's worse?" Lily choked out, disbelief etched in her tone.

"Apparently," said James, sounding dazed.

**though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, **

"He what?" Lily demanded, eyes wide. "Why? He never bothers!"

**using large quantities of what appeared to be axel grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches - perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill's, but found he had too much hair. The look didn't really suit Hagrid at all. **

"No. No, it really wouldn't," said Remus, the first to get over his shock. Used to having to hide his emotions, he was often the first to regain himself.

**For a moment, Hermione goggled at him, then, obviously deciding not to comment, she said, "Erm - where are the Skrewts?"**

"We really should get Hagrid a new tie or suit or something," James said, somehow snapping out of his shocked stupor.

"Agreed," said Sirius faintly, doing the same.  
**  
"Out by the pumpkin patch," said Hagrid happily. "They're gettin' massive, mus' be nearly three foot long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other." **

"That's a bad thing?" Lily asked.

**"Oh, no, really?" said Hermione, shooting a repressive look at Ron, who, staring at Hagrid's odd hairstyle, had just opened his mouth to say something about it.**

"No semblance of tact," Lily muttered, shaking her head.

"All I can say is, thank goodness they have Hermione," said Remus, agreeing with Lily whole-heartedly.

"Somebody ought to tell Hagrid that he looks ridiculous," James argued.

**"Yeah," said Hagrid sadly. "'S'OK, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty." **

"Damn," said James, "I was hoping they'd all have killed each other."

"Don't worry," said Sirius reassuringly, "All the students have to do is set them on each other when they have to take them out for lessons."

"And the added bonus of that is that they'll be too focused on killing each other to do anything to the students," Remus added, a little sarcastically.

**"Well that's lucky," said Ron. Hagrid missed the sarcasm. **

"He always does when it comes to his pets," Sirius said with a sigh. He had let out a fair few truly sarcastic comments about Princess the Pitbull, but to this day Hagrid believed that Sirius had loved the vicious thing.

**Hagrid's cabin comprised a single room, in one corner of which a gigantic bed covered in a patchwork quilt. A similarly enormous wooden table and chairs stood in front of the fire, beneath the quantity of cured hams and dead birds hanging from the ceiling. They sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as they were.**

"He would be," said Sirius dryly, "All the creatures they're probably going to get. It'll be heaven for Hagrid."

"So long as he doesn't commandeer any of them as pets," Lily said, shuddering at the thought.

**"You wait," he said grinning. "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. **

"I don't know whether that sounds intriguing or ominous," Lily admitted, her mind flashing through all of the possibilities.

**Firs' task ... ah, but I'm not supposed ter say." **

"Ooh, a hint," said James, intrigued. "So the First Task must involve a dangerous creature of some sort."

"The question is, what sort?" Sirius said thoughtfully.

**"Go on, Hagrid!" Harry, Ron and Hermione urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning. **

"It must be dangerous if Hagrid's so thrilled about it," Remus pointed out.

**"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," said Hagrid. "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yer that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"**

"Again?" said Lily. "Does that mean it's been played in Hagrid's lifetime?"

"I don't think it's been played in Dumbledore's lifetime," James answered her.

"Though," Sirius added. "You never really know with Dumbledore."

**They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, **

"That's not a good idea," Remus said, wincing as he recalled the food they were given on the few occasions they visited Hagrid.

"At least they won't have that bloody Princess glaring at them all the time," Sirius muttered grumpily.

"You know, I hate that evil Pitbull as well, but you seem to truly detest her," Lily pointed out, sounding both amused and curious. Sirius normally loved dogs. "Care to share why?"

"No," Sirius answered shortly, glaring at James and Remus who looked like they were about to burst out laughing at the memory. Lily still did not know that they were Animagi, though James had been meaning to tell her for over a year now. He just didn't know how to bring it up, though he knew he had to. Especially since Harry knew; Sirius, in particular, had a habit of transforming around Harry, much to the baby's delight. Not to mention that Lily was always wondering why he occasionally went to join Remus for the full moons (Sirius went every month, but while James went whenever he could, he simply couldn't justify leaving Lily alone all night with such a young baby month after month).

But either way, it wouldn't matter if Lily knew they were Animagi or not, because Sirius had no intention of ever telling her about the time Princess had chased Padfoot around the entire grounds for almost three hours during one full moon. Padfoot had been sure she was trying to kill him. It was the following month that he realized she was trying to flirt with him. He'd sworn he was utterly traumatized from the event, but his damn friends refused to stop laughing about it.

**though they didn't eat much - Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed a large talon in hers, **

"Excuse me," said Lily, choking.

"Yeah, don't eat that," James advised. "You've got another feast coming up where you can stuff yourselves, anyway."

**she, Harry and Ron rather lost their appetites. **

**They enjoyed themselves trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the Tournament were going to be, however; speculating which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions, **

"As long as it's not a Slytherin, I'm happy," Sirius said, happily.

"Or that Diggory," James added obstinately, making Lily roll her eyes at his hypocrisy.

**and wondering whether Fred and George were beardless yet. **

"Probably," said James dismissively, "Pomfrey can heal it in about a second."

"And I'm guessing Dumbledore probably would have told her to be prepared for it," Remus added.

** A light rain had started to fall by mid-afternoon; it was very cosy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves – **

"Guess Hagrid doesn't agree with her," Sirius said with a grin.

"Apparently not," James said who, in the absence of any real action, had relaxed comfortably on the recliner, his head leaning on Lily's shoulder.

**for he flatly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.**

"I thought he would," Remus mentioned idly. "He usually takes people at their word, and what house-elves say is that they enjoy the work and don't want to be paid for it."

**"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. "It's in their nature ter look after humans, that's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work, an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em." **

"Hagrid has a valid point as well," Lily said, nodding her head thoughtfully.

"At the end of the day, you can't force rights on people that don't want them," Sirius pointed out, quite wisely.

**"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" said Hermione. "_And_ we heard he's asking for wages now!"**

"There are black sheep in every family, race, and species," Remus said wisely.

"Or in my case, white sheep," Sirius quipped wryly.

**"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed. I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it - no, nothin' doin', Hermione."**

**Hermione looked very cross indeed, **

"Bet she does," James said, grinning.

"He's right though," Lily said, shrugging. "House elves should have protection against cruel masters and perhaps they should have the option of being paid if that's what they want, but she shouldn't try and force it on them."

**and stuffed her box of badges back into her cloak pocket.**

**By half past five it was growing dark, **

"That's always the worst thing about that first term," Sirius commented, a little lazily. He, like James, had relaxed into the couch now that the book was detailing a slow period.

**and Ron, Harry and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast - and, more importantly, the announcement of the school champions.**

"Never thought I'd hear a student say that an event was more important then the actual food," said Lily, biting her lip in amusement.

"Neither, but they may have a point there," Sirius said grudgingly, not wanting to admit that something was better or more important then the feast itself.

"And then there's also the fact that they had a feast yesterday," Remus pointed out.

**"I'll come with yeh," said Hagrid, putting away his darning. "Jus' give us a sec."**

**Hagrid got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed and began searching for something inside it. **

"What's he looking for?" asked Lily.

**They didn't pay too much attention, until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils.**

"Oh dear," Lily said, sighing. "I don't know if I want to know what it is."

**Coughing, Ron said, "Hagrid, what's that?"**

**"Eh?" said Hagrid, turning round with a large bottle in his hand. "Don' yeh like it?"**

**"Is that aftershave?" said Hermione, in a slightly choked voice.**

"Aftershave?" Sirius asked, disbelief dripping from the word. "Hagrid?"

"And here I thought he couldn't surprise me more," said James, who sounded incredulous.

**"Er - eau-de-Cologne," Hagrid muttered, he was blushing. "Maybe it's a bit much," he said gruffly. "I'll go take it off, hang on ..." **

"Ok, has Hagrid got a girlfriend or something?" asked Remus. "I mean… eau-de-Cologne?"

"We ought to get Hagrid some decent cologne as well," Lily said to James. He merely nodded mutely. Anything to spare his son from going through something like that again.

**He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.**

**"Eau-de-Cologne?" said Hermione in amazement. "_Hagrid_?"**

**"And what's with the hair and the suit?" said Harry in an undertone.**

"I thought he was just trying to look smart for the guests or for the announcement of the champions," Lily said, a little weakly.

Sirius snorted in response, thinking that if that was the case, then that suit of Hagrids did not make quite the impression he may have been hoping for.

"I did say trying," Lily said to him.

**"Look!" said Ron suddenly, pointing out of the window. **

**Hagrid had just straightened up and turned round. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now. **

"Have you ever seen Hagrid blush?" Lily asked the room in general.

"Yeah, once," James answered. "That time we charmed him into wearing a pink tutu."

"I don't even want to know," Lily said, after a moment of silence.

**Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn't spot them, Harry, Ron and Hermione peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime**

"Ah," Sirius said, smiling as comprehension dawned. "I understand now."

** and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from their carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast, too. They couldn't hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression **

"Oh my gosh, Hagrid has a crush!" Lily said, smiling in shock.

"Hagrid and Maxime?" asked James, "Well, that's going to be a… interesting relationship."

"No kidding," said Sirius, struggling not to laugh.

**Harry had only ever seen him wear once before - when he had been looking at the baby dragon, Norbert.**

"Norbert. He named the bloody dragon Norbert," Lily said through clenched teeth.

"Apparently," Remus answered placidly, hiding the fright he felt at the thought of little Harry being around a dragon.

**"He's going up to the castle with her!" said Hermione indignantly. "I thought he was waiting for us?" **

"Well, he didn't need to forget about them," Sirius huffed. Then he shook his head and said, "To think of Hagrid fancying a woman…"

"Ah, you can forgive him some absentmindedness," James said fondly. "I doubt he's ever fallen for a woman before."

"Well, there aren't exactly many women like Madame Maxime around," Remus pointed out wryly.

**Without so much as a backward glance at his cabin, Hagrid was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.**

"Talk about a funny sight," James said, sniggering.

**"He fancies her!" said Ron incredulously. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record - bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."**

"True," Sirius said, laughing along with the other three adults.

**They let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them. It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the sloping lawns. **

"Yes, you don't want to get a cold," Lily said in a lecturing tone. After the threat of Lily spilling the beans about his own protective fussiness, James did not dare tease her, which made Sirius look at him quite strangely.

**"Ooh, it's them, look!" Hermione whispered.**

**The Durmstrang party were walking up towards the castle from the lake. Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrang students were straggling along behind them.**

"Definitely favouritism," Remus stated.

"I thought we already established that," Sirius said, bored with that train of thought already.

"Just confirming," Remus responded simply, shrugging.

**Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around **

"You have to talk to them, Ron," James said amusedly.

"I'm a little surprised that Harry doesn't seem to be acting at all similarly, considering that he obviously loves Quidditch and quite admires Krum," Remus pointed out suddenly, brow furrowing as he pondered the anomaly.

James just grunted in response, trying to stop himself from scowling as he motioned for Lily to keep reading. He had already thought it over, also thinking it was quite strange. He had come to the frustrating conclusion that it was likely the fault of the Dursleys, who seemed to have lowered Harry's self-esteem considerably or had simply not allowed him to have many good things for himself.

**as he reached the front doors a little ahead of Hermione, Ron and Harry, and proceeded through them. **

**When they entered the candlelit Great Hall it was almost full. The Goblet of Fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore's empty chair at the teachers' table. Fred and George - clean shaven again – **

They all laughed again at the reminder of the beards.

**seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.**

"That's the good thing about pranksters," Lily said, fondly, "They don't let things like this get them down." Sometimes she wondered how she could have hated the Marauders so much in her younger years; she couldn't think about her life without them now.

**"Hope it's Angelina," said Fred, as Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down.**

"We hope so too," Sirius added.

"Surely she's not the only Gryffindor to have entered, though," Lily mentioned, looking around at them all.

"No, you would think that of all the houses, Gryffindor would have the most entrants," Remus agreed.

"It's just that Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't stick around to see who else put their name in," James pointed out shrugging.

**"So do I!" said Hermione breathlessly. "Well, we'll soon know!"**

"It sounds like she's a friend of theirs anyway," Sirius added to the previous conversation. "So they would probably hope for her even if there are plenty of other Gryffindors."

**The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual.**

**Perhaps it was because it was their second feast in two days, Harry didn't seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as he would normally have done. **

"I think it's more that you're excited to hear the champions chosen, darling," Lily said fondly.

"So am I, so keep reading, Lil," Sirius said to her, somewhat impatiently.

**Like everyone else in the Hall, judging by the constantly craning necks, the impatient expressions on every face, the fidgeting and the standing up to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet, Harry simply wanted the plates to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.**

"Impatient, aren't they," Lily said, laughing.

"They're not the only ones," James said impatiently. Sirius just motioned for her to hurry up with his hands.

**At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise in the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. **

"They really are eager," Lily noted, laughing as she relished in the fact that she was annoying the marauders after so long of them annoying her. Even Remus was beginning to look impatient now.

**On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.**

"Well, really, he could show some excitement," Remus said, scathingly.

"I know," James agreed, frowning slightly, "He's far too serious – almost like he's forgotten what it's like to have fun."

**"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make is decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. **

"How on earth can he tell?" Lily wondered.

"Who knows, just keep reading," Sirius groaned impatiently.

**Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicated the door behind the staff table – **

"I didn't even know there was a door there," Remus said, shrugging.

**where they will be receiving their first instructions."**

**He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them all into a state of semi-darkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on he eyes. Everyone watched, waiting ... a few people kept checking their watches...**

"Come on," James whispered, feeling as though he was in the hall himself – seeing it all happening in front of his eyes…

**"Any second," Lee Jordan whispered, two seats away from Harry.**

**The flames inside the Goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it - the whole room gasped.**

They all tensed up, staring at the book, wondering which of the schools the first champion would be from.

**Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue white.**

**"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."**

The four adults in the room were so captivated by the scene that they, too, clapped for Viktor. Baby Harry looked at them in surprise, wondering what was going on.

**"No surprises there!" yelled Ron, as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Harry saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table, and slouch up towards Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.**

"One down, two to go," Sirius said quietly.

**"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"**

"Do you think he would have demanded a re-draw if someone other then Krum was chosen?" Remus asked, amused.

**The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the Goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.**

**"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"**

"That's a pretty name," Lily said absentmindedly.

"Choosing a name for Harry's sister, then?" Sirius asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

**"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted, as the girl who so resembled a Veela got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.**

"So the Veela girl's a champion," Sirius stated.

"Way to state the obvious, mate," James said. Sirius threw a pillow at him.

**"Oh, look, they're all disappointed," Hermione said over the noise, nodding towards the remainder of the Beauxbatons party. "Disappointed" was a bit of an understatement, Harry thought. Two of he girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears, and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.**

"A bit over-dramatic there," Lily said, sounding a little amused.

"It _is _a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that they've just missed out on," Remus pointed out fairly. I'd probably be disappointed too."

**When Fleur Delacour, too, had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. **

"One left," Remus said softly, "The Hogwarts champion…"

**The Hogwarts champion next... **

**And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.**

**"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Cedric Diggory!"**

The four clapped again, James looked a little moody, but still pleased that it at least wasn't a Slytherin champion.

**"No!" said Ron loudly, but nobody heard him except Harry; **

James nodded despondently in agreement.

**the uproar from the next table was too great. **

"The Hufflepuffs must be absolutely thrilled," Remus pointed out thoughtfully. "It's normally the Gryffindors that end up doing this kind of thing."

"You have to admit it says a lot about Cedric that he was the one the Goblet felt was most worthy," Lily said to James, who had to nod in agreement to that.

**Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed of towards the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.**

"Well, at least the Hufflepuffs finally have the chance to get the recognition they haven't had in centuries," Lily said brightly.

**"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily, as the last tumult died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champion every ounce of support you can muster. **

"Once they get over their disappointment, and in some cases, dislike, then I'm sure they will," Remus said, laughing.

**By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real -"**

**But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.**

"What?" asked James, half-frightened of the answer he may receive.

**The fire in the Goblet had just turned red again. **

The air in the room was slowly turning thick with tension, as opposed to the light-hearted humour of a moment ago.

**Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.**

James was slowly sitting up, leaning forward in curiosity, intrigue and dread.

**Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore.**

The four adults in the room were staring at the book in Lily's hands, which was shaking.

**And then Dumbledore cleared his throat, and read out -_"Harry Potter."_**

Four identical, pale faces stared at each other as the tension mounted once more…

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed that – and I would love to you know what you thought! Please review :)_


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